Janus: The Ballad of 1871 (Pride)
I was unaware of this interesting theory on the ‘coded’ meaning of Mr Lear’s charming poem “The Owl and the Pussycat”. A clever, surprising ballad, and a pleasant reminder of Mr Lear’s excellent work. I don’t know why this poem wasn’t split into four line stanzas, but no matter. Thank you, Janus, a delightful ballad.
John Mackie: Avarice a Sin? (Greed)
A fine and grand ballad in the Border Tradition, encompassing a broad sweep of history. There is little doubt in my mind, given Mr Mackie’s frank admission in the last stanza regarding the traits of his countrymen, that in said Mason’s view, placement of Avarice as Sin and Charity as Virtue was as wrong as a factory farmed haggis and required correction. Brilliant, Mr Mackie!
JW: The Ballad of reading in Gaol (Gluttony with a touch of Lust)
This outrageous piece explodes across the page in a (prison) riot of decadence and big words. JW has broken all the rules with exuberant abandon and it is certainly not poetry as we know it. JW is, no doubt, ahead of his time. I am left with a burning need to taste the succulent jabuticaba, and a question: Was Oscar Wilde really a Spaniard? I think we should be told. Hilarious poem, JW!
Araminta: The Battle of Thermopylae: A Ballad (Pride)
Battles make great material for ballads; this one fairly romps along and scans beautifully. In the tradition of the early ballad, it could (perhaps) be set to music. By the way, I knew the Spartans were proud and courageous in battle, but I didn’t realise they were seriously into hairdressing. A lovely poem, Ara, and thanks for your heroic efforts in penning a second entry.
Considering the number of contributors, it was a nice mix of sins: two Prides, one with a hint of Vanity (a lesser sin), one Greed and a Gluttony with highlights of Lust. Thank you, Janus, John Mackie, JW and Araminta. I enjoyed all your contributions and it has been truly difficult to choose a winner. Considering my lack of poetical knowledge, and having dithered, fretted, changed my mind many times and agonised about the whole thing, I have decided to go with my feelings on first reading of the short-listed poems of Janus and John Mackie in choosing a winner, but it was so very close.
… and the Winner is …
JANUS!
Congratulations, Janus! 😀
Boadicea's Chariot 
I wanted to type something witty
what I thought of was far from pretty
suffice to say
it’s Janus’ day
Thanks to Bilby for judging the entries
🙂
I agree it was a very close call.
Congratulations to Janus and well judged, Bilby!
Many thanks for setting and judging the competition, Bilby. 🙂
Congratulations to Janus.
The Packing Room (“knock us down and we get up again”) gave a guernsey to The Royalists’s avant-garde take on the “Little patch of blue”. 😆
Bilby, thanks for the competition and well done Janus. Happy to be runner-up.
Bilby, you must be a particle physicist in your spare time. How else could the podium places be separated except by string theory? Thanks for the encouragement to sin and excellent judging on the sins.
I feel very sorry for Araminta who delivered a wonderful epic and in any other month would have won comfortably.
John is John and is simply “different class”. He really is my hero, though don’t tell him I said that.
Once more I bow before the greatness of Janus. A truly amazing poet that would do the Chariot proud in a Blogsite poetry World Cup or Eurovision. Congratulations and celebrations, mmm mmm mm m …(dunno the rest of the words)
Bearsy, I am unfamiliar with OZ speak and in ignorance I’ll think kindly on your words. I could, of course, be wrong. 🙂
Ah, JW.
You are such a sweetie!
I am firmly of the opinion that it is the taking part which is important; not the winning.
Frankly it’s a blooming good job I have persuaded my self to think like this; considering my consistently awful pomes. 🙂
Haw, JW. Where do you get this ‘I could, of course, be wrong’ nonsense from? Stand up for your opinions, man.
As a fact, Sir Cliff came second in the Eurovision with ‘Congratulations’ so no shame there.
Google ‘giving a guernsey’ and you’ll find it’s intended to be a compliment. Just be appropriately grateful. I live in hope of getting a Packer’s Room Prize one fine day.
Moving on, good result for you and Hibs today. Is Kenny staying? We’re still dreaming of the title at Tynie, having deliberately exited the Cup to concentrate on the main event.
What time is/was the ‘Big Stringer’ film on? Intended to watch it in your honour but could not find it in the listings.
Haw Haw, JM. What is this Google nonsense? The joy is in trying to decipher the code. Getting it wrong is all part of the fun.
Yep, good result for us today; we pegged back one goal on the greetin’ faceders. As you know, my big mate was the ref today so we got the obligatory penalty. You are looking good for second place but who will be third…?
Sorry about the misleading reference to a Big Stringer film. The inverted commas meant I was speaking generally and not factually. Although, I could, of…ahh forget it.
Agree with Ara, it’s the taking part that is the joy. And, of course, the customary tribute speech to the winner.
Blond genug, JW – Paul Brickhill reference and long before your time so you probably won’t get it, especially as you’re a practising non-googler.
Tricky things inverted commas but I should have spotted them. I will watch out for the boy Idris’s films in future.
Mercy me! Thank you kindly, Bilbers – and to you all for your gracious words. I’ve just had my morning cuppa(s) and popped in to see what was what, only to be greeted by my fizzog on the home page.
One small confession: the theory that Lear was a spook and his poems were his coded reports is entirely my own. Hockney is probably another!
B & I will now don our thinking-caps and come up with a theme for the next poetry contest.
Thanks again! 🙂
Soutie, should the last line read:
“And to all the others, tough tittie”? 🙂
🙂
(I must say that my last line was rather weak and not up to my usual standard (??!!), we were on our way out, I wanted to leave a comment, so rushed it a bit!)
By the way, do they make thinking caps large enough up in Denmark or do you have them specially imported? 😉
Congratulations Janus, well done lad.
Thanks, Val and Soutie…… 🙂
Oh, yes, I forgot, Bilbers. “I don’t know why this poem wasn’t split into four line stanzas, but no matter.” Quite often, narrative pomes are writen without stanzas. 🙂
“One small confession: the theory that Lear was a spook and his poems were his coded reports is entirely my own. Hockney is probably another!”
Oops, sorry Janus! It was rather tactless of me, but no offence meant. Again, congratulations and thanks for the great poem. 🙂
It seems to be my morning for apologies, Janus! My poetical ignorance is legend. I just thought it would have been easier to read in stanza form.
Thanks very much for your comments everyone and well done all entrants! 🙂