Category: Competition

The Epic poem result

It won’t be long until The Chariot Epic poem (Earth- stranger visits third rock from the sun) is read in universities around the world. The tale of Marvin’s wander through the wonders of this world will thrill generations to come. I’d like to thank the three contributors to this ambitious enterprise: Janus, John Mackie and FEEG.

JM used the opposite tactic of mine of not sucking up to the judge. His anti-Glasgow verses flowed smoother than Edinburgh trams and made me laugh. His poem was a stoater.

FEEG’s account of nasty politicians was anything but feeble. Some inspired rhymes in his denunciations- CO2, poo, venturi, Alpha Centuri. High definition poetical stuff.

Janus took Marvin all over the place. Marv will be glad to see the backside of him. Of the many J odes I particularly liked the Yorkshire moors one. And me being a Lancashire CCC man, born and nurtured. Janus book-ended the epic nicely meaning I didn’t have to insert one of my eccentric codas.

And the winner is… Continue reading “The Epic poem result”

Welcome , Marvin, to our world!

Sing along to the tune of Walzing Matilda

Boadicea’s Chariot, Boadicea’s Chariot
Cyberspace’s answer to Baden Powell’s brigade!
We’ve got cubs and we’ve got brownies
And growed-up scouts – and girl-guides too.
We are the stuff of which glory is made!

Once upon a time we chatted oop at t’Big House
And some of us left, some were booted right out!
But we followed the Bear
(Does he do it? Yes, of course he does!) –
We’re cherished and we know it and we all proudly shout:

Boadicea’s Chariot, Boadicea’s Chariot
Cyberspace’s answer to Baden Powell’s brigade!
We’ve got cubs and we’ve got brownies
And growed-up scouts – and girl-guides too.
We are the stuff of which glory is made!

Epic reminder

Two weeks left for the poets out there to enter this month’s Epic contest. This ambitious project has so far enticed only two authors to pen their verses. Details of the competition can be found here.
https://charioteers.org/2013/09/02/epic-september-poetry-competition/

Memo to admin- could you please update the side bar. Thanks.

By ‘eck!

The residents of Slacky Bottom will be celebrating tonight, quaffing t’ local brew, gorging themselves on pickled onions ‘n t’ tripe, secure in the knowledge that Yarkshire is best.

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/sep/03/yorkshire

So, Marvin, do drop in on your travels. (The name of the pub: Dew Drop Inn. Gerrit?)

Some talk of Alexandria and of Herculaneum,
Of Hexham and Lyme Regis
And of such great names as them.
But of all the world’s great hang-outs
There’s none you’ll choose from yours
Like yon heather and t’ becks, like t’ sheep and like t’ pubs
Of the God-giv’n Yarkshire Moors.

Bienvenue, Marvin


dull drunken tourists sway and stare
along the brash bare-breasted boulevard

deep purple doored on Place Pigalle my own
brocaded boudoir’s broad divan du monde

we sip encore un verre de vin
is this the coda? you say oui

and who should care? who sees you leave
but for another faceless paying guest?

(by Angelica Cinnamon Bunn for Epic Tours, Paris)

https://charioteers.org/2013/09/02/epic-september-poetry-competition/

Epic (September poetry competition)

Now for something completely different. This month’s poetry competition will follow in the footsteps of the Epic poems of the past. Think Odyssey, Think Inferno. Think Paradise Lost. OK, enough thinking. The title is Earth, subtitled stranger visits third rock from the sun.

An alien, let’s call him Marvin, has landed on Earth. He is met by Ferdinand Magellan, an immortal who still lives in our present times (poetic license and all that). The circumnavigator agrees to take Marvin on a tour of this planet. Authors are invited to submit poems on the various places FM thinks will interest the foreigner. This could be a country (Latvia), a sports ground or arena (the WACA/ Royal Albert Hall), a breed of cattle (Texas Longhorn). The world is your oyster, you decide. They don’t have to be fun poems, a little bit of tragedy adds to the mix.

Multiple entries are most welcome and can be in any format. Dialogue and blank verse will be accepted, this is an Epic after all. Don’t worry about the continuity of the poems vis-à-vis locations, it’s not like in Ferdinand’s day, Marvin has a space ship so the duo can zap from one side of the globe to the other, swiftly.

I suggest poems are published separately and linked to this page. This gives readers the chance to comment on the individual entries. At the bottom of this post I will copy the entries and the huge Epic poem will grow. In a further twist from the norm I hope no one minds if I contribute a poem or two of my own. Naturally, after the closing date I won’t vote myself the winner!

Closing date: Midnight UK time, Friday 27th September.

Earth
stranger visits third rock from the sun Continue reading “Epic (September poetry competition)”

Name game

I suggested Louis, he is after all unstable on his feet and bites 🙂

He’s a 7 week old abandoned youngster picked up by our local animal welfare society last week, as luck would have it, an out of town friend of ours has been looking for a Jack Russell pup for some time now, he drove through yesterday and took him home.

And the winner is….

Old Backside has had his morgenmad and done his early morning chores, this bright humid morning. So there’s time to look at this month’s pomes, three in number from our all-male contestants. Who said men can’t multi-task?

The summertime offerings were all good fun – thank you, all (FEEG, papaguinea and the royalist) – and I had to choose between PG and JW for sticking to the letter of the brief: a pome set to music of your choice. (Apologies, FEEG, if you akshully had a toon in mind!)

And the winner is – with some striking imagery and extra points for almost making the words fit the toon (!) – theroyalist! Congratulations! And over to you for September.

The winning pome: https://charioteers.org/2013/08/22/summer-caving-august-poetry-competition/

Who wouldn’t smile when Debbie laddered her tights on the stalagmites and Jack got a cave dust infection? Excellent stuff!

Poetry postponed

In deference to the persistently lazy days of summer and in eager anticipation of John Mackie’s promised contribution, Backside has decided unanimously as ever to keep the Summertime contest open until 31st August, after breakfast.

As Nat King Cole sang in 1963:

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Youll wish that summer could always be here!