Wednesday 27 September 2017

A verse and a competition

"I wandered lonely as a cloud" -
That's not my favourite verse.
Albeit that it's famous and
That there are many worse.
Wordsworth had little else to do
But scribble lines like these,
And dream of yellow daffodils
That danced beneath the trees.
But spare a thought for Dorothy*
Who beavered at the sink,
And washed his shirts and cooked his meals -
Doesn't it make you think?

Okay. Now for the competition. Please write a short poem starting with the same first line, and if there are enough entries, then a (very small) prize will be forthcoming for the best. (You're quite right. I have some much better things to do, but I'm just not doing them.)


*Wordsworth's sister


20 comments:

  1. I wandered lonely as a cloud
    and while I was out and about
    a big fat rain cloud came along,
    drops on my head, like in the song.

    As I am always organised
    protection was quickly devised
    by pulling up my jacket's hood -
    so far, so good.

    I can not think of any other
    lines to rhyme, so shouldn't bother
    and end this poem here and now.
    Just say "wow!"


    Of course I know that I do not stand a chance in this competition - you have such talented readers, Frances, as we've seen several times in the past. But I had fun making up a few lines while having a cup of coffee between two work appointments, so, thank you!

    (Also, I don't mind not winning - my team and I won last night's pub quiz! World domination next!!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good try, Meike! And well done in the quiz.

      Delete
    2. I'm sure I can't be the only bugger to suggest that "World domination" was an unfortunate or awfully optimistic statement. It has been tried more than once before. Never works. Folk dislike being dominated.

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    3. I would not want to dominate anyone, Adrian!
      I hope that most people understood that my remark about world domination was meant to be a joke.

      Delete
    4. Meike, he knows that. He's being provocative. Take no notice.

      Delete
  2. I like a competition.

    "I wandered lonely as a cloud,
    Not floating high and proud.
    I'm slithering, writhing across a bog,
    I'm not a lonely cumulus, I'm fog.

    Not quite up to Ted Hughes standard I'll admit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I take it I haven't won then.
      Here is a good Limerick.

      Catriona, a pretty young lass
      Had a truly magnificent ass.
      Not rounded and pink
      As you possibly think
      It was grey, had long ears, and ate grass.

      Delete
    2. I love the limerick, Adrian, but suspect you poached it?

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    3. Frances, would I plagiarise? Moi? Me? Me of troise tongues? I would credit the author but what authors work is truly original I heard it years ago. I was forty and the folk singer was thirty and used it or similar as a throwaway between songs. She was an Ellen Foley fan but with a bigger bum. Not as big as Meatloaf's. She nailed "Heaven can Wait".. I fell in two pint lust. She had to do it twice more. A troiscore she did and we rustled up twenty quid for her by tipping drunks upside down and then we treated her to an Indian in Toll Cross Glasgow.

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    4. I hope she liked the Indian? The one playing Abdul in the latest Queen Victoria film is gorgeous.

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  3. I'm sorry but, apart from a complete lack of talent in this department (as in many others), I am trying to catch up after several weeks absence from Blogland.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Graham, lack of talent has never discouraged me.

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    2. I'll let you off this time, Graham. How are you?

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  4. I wandered lonely as a cloud
    I'm not sure why, I do have friends.
    We love to meet for tea and cake,
    But that's not where the friendship ends.
    We write and draw and sometimes paint
    And share our problems, good and bad.
    Sometimes we have a real good laugh
    But other days we can be sad.
    The main thing is that when we meet
    In ones or twos or in a crowd,
    We cheer each other up no end,
    No need for Wordsworth's cloud.

    Definitely don't want a prize Frances. I just love a challenge.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last line should be:
      No need for Wordsworth's lonely cloud.

      Delete
    2. That was really good, Maggie. Well done!

      Delete
  5. I wandered lonely as a cloud,
    My mind completely gone.
    I wept, I wailed, I screamed out loud,
    And still I wandered on.
    A sweet girl came and rescued me,
    I knew not who she was.
    She said her name was Dorothy.
    I think she came from Oz.

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  6. I think with only four entries, I won't be awarding a prize this time. But many thanks for those who did contribute!

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