6th Poetry Competition

Well I’m pleased and flattered, with the result of the 5th, especially as I managed to turn Stephen Hawking into Stephen Hawkin in the first one (you would not believe poetic license I suppose?).
For the next event I propose “A Parody” (not that many of the previous entries have not been inadvertently that), but this should be deliberate and should target some piece that is recognizably pompous, maudlin or melodramatic (or all three).

There’s an awful lot of that kind of stuff about and it seems to be most prevalent within the northern and western fringes of “This precious stone set in the silver sea, this sceptered isle” (there’s one someone should have a go at). Anyway the original should be acknowledged or so obvious as to need no acknowledgement and any entry may even use the odd line or two from the original if appropriate to the story.
By way of example I shamelessly quote my own work, it was a long time ago and posted on the Dark Side in response to a request from Christo for some pomes.

DO NOT GO GENTLE
Do not go gentle into that blog site,
For you must burn to have your say;
Rage, rage against the trivial and the trite.

Wise men soon leave; give up the fight,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that blog site.

Good men stay, read, laugh and write, and write
Their minds though frail and trending fey,
Rage, rage against the trivial and the trite.

Wild men offended at some perceived slight,
See not its root in honest humour lay,
Rage, rage against the trivial and the trite.

Grave men, sow misery as a spreading blight
Where sharper wits have better things to say,
Rage, rage against the trivial and the trite.

And you, dear Christo knowing wrong from right
Curse, bless me now with your first prize, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that blog site.
Rage, rage against the trivial and the trite

It is of course, Dylan Thomas raging, as usual.

Now for the closing I am suggesting March 15th Midnight GMT.

Judging may be a bit problematic, I will be moving a trawler from Florida to the Chesapeake starting March 14, it’s a 700-mile trip and will probably take two or three weeks via the ICW, the boat has a mobile Internet connection that should work for most of the trip, so let’s see how it goes.

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Author: Low Wattage

Expat Welshman, educated (somewhat) in UK, left before it became fashionable to do so. Now a U.S. Citizen, and recent widower, playing with retirement and house remodeling, living in Delaware and rural Maryland (weekends).

20 thoughts on “6th Poetry Competition”

  1. It doesn’t get any easier does it?

    If you don’t get an entry from me it won’t be because I’m not trying but probably because I’ll still be figuring out how to start!
    https://i0.wp.com/planetsmilies.net/confused-smiley-17428.gif

  4. Soutie: Maybe you can help me figure out how to link this post to the “Poetry” sidebar, it may be worth a complementary prize.

    OZ: Great start 🙂

  5. No problem LW

    Stick around and I’ll have it done by morning 🙂

    (It’s actually an admin function that I’m sure Bearsy will sort out when he sees this ;))

  8. I realise that I am not exactly within the requirements of the competition,
    but I have wanted to do this for a long time:

    So little revolves
    Around

    A broken rusty
    Wheelbarrow

    Caked with cow
    Manure

    Beside the
    rubbish pile.

    This is a parody of William Carlos Williams’ “Red Wheelbarrow”,
    a poem which has been analysed to the brink of misery so often that it cannot
    be laughed off.

  9. Christopher: It works for me, it also has two major attributes when it comes to judging.

    It is short.
    It makes more sense to me than the original.

  12. Hi Soutie.

    Just a thought, but how would you feel if I decided that doing a parody of ‘Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika?’ for the competition would be a good idea?

    I realise that the Republicans amongst us would have no problem with your parody of my National Anthem. That is, of course, their right and I respect it, as always.

    I’m not a Republican.

  14. John, have I missed the point? Have I offended you? If so I’ll delete all references and choose something else.

  16. Soutie :

    John, have I missed the point? Have I offended you? If so I’ll delete all references and choose something else.

    Sorry, Soutie, it’s all getting a bit deep.

    It’s just that ‘God Save the Queen’ is our National Anthem and is sung and played on all our state occasions. I realise that it is a bit of a dirge and that some people find it fun to attack it or what it represents.

    I don’t. It means a lot to me and to my belief in what my ancestors were and what I am. Probably very sad and I could, as ever, be wrong.

  19. Afternoon all, thank you all for your participation, this contest has closed and I will peruse the valuable entries.

    I apologize for the delay, the swamps of Southern Georgia defeated all that technology could provide, I now have an internet connection that is intermittent at best. As we close with a few places of habitation it should improve, I will be back with a profound and final judgment later today, with luck.

  20. LW, it is in the nature of the poet to suffer hardship and disappointment. Be strong…… 😉

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