have a tie.
But first let me congratulate all participants, for everyone got at least one vote. Even my own mother got more than one for that dashed off piece of doggerel with lines like "A mouse is a mouse, is a mouse/ As a spouse is a spouse is a spouse/ and a louse is a louse, is a louse..." For Pete's sake, rouse me when it's over. Sounds like part of the theme song from Mr. Ed. You'd think a female would have found room for a line full of 'blouses'.
TS O'Rama never finished his Charge of the Mouse Brigade, claiming to have been so smitten by reader Faith's Haiku that his own creativity was inhibited.
My personal favorite was Secret Agent Man's brilliant, dialectic mimicry of Robert Burns, the fellow who wrote:
O MY Luve 's like a red, red rose
That 's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve 's like the melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
But, as one reader wrote - even as he admitted it's virtuosity and superior creativity - "I like my mouse poetry full of mice." Sorry, Sam. But, if it's any comfort, my mother (the one who rhymed all the 'ouse's') used to say, "Genius will out." Of course, she used to say this when, as a youngster, I tried to lay claim to the title. And to this day I still haven't outed. But that doesn't mean it's not true.
Personally I enjoyed reading them all. Assuming that all but a couple of you are amateurs, I found the inventiveness unexpected and the humor nearly rollicking. (Mr. Anonymous, by the way, who had the cat swallow the mouse in mid-sentence was none other than TS O'Rama.)
It also appears (appears, I say) that in comments we might have been paid a visit by the lover of all things poetic, Dylan, who submitted the Cummings example. (No, E.E. wasn't eligible). Anyway, I pray it was he.
All right, the winners are Terry Southard and Susan. Yes, Susan, my student. You people. A liberal, filmophiliac (hell, I don't even know if she's a Christian) throws in a line about St. Peter and you all suck it up like a largemouth bass after a jellyworm. (However, she has seen, and in fact owns a copy of, The Passion of Joan of Arc, the old silent film, and I think agrees that it is the best of the bunch.) When I told her in class the other day that she was leading in the voting, she shrieked, "They like me! They really like me!" Which gives you some idea just how closely she follows that movie scene. Well, okay, I suppose the poem had some merit. Merit is merit. Kudos to the winners. And Terry: not bad for a numbers lady.
And you know what you win for winning? NOTHING. Bragging rights, I suppose. But everyone wins in this sense: I will keep my promise to wrap them all up and send them to America magazine. If they respond you shall hear of it. I just wouldn't hold my breath.
It was fun. Might have to do it again sometime. Thanks again to all:
Micki at the Summamamas.
Alicia at Fructus Ventris
Dan at Lofted Nest
Roz at Exultet
Jane Wangersky at Prestigious Non-Accredited
Jeff Culbreath at Hallowed Ground.
____________________
Comments:
hahahahah!! Thanks! I'll save my Oscar acceptance speech for when I truly win one.
Well, I'll respond, now that it won't affect my grade. (Maybe I should wait a few days...)
I was baptized catholic, but raised a protestant. As of today, I consider myself agnostic. *dodges a rotten tomato* Hey! Who threw that?!?
I am not liberal. I am far from conservative, granted, but liberal is a bit too far to the left.
And in the last election, I voted Republican for pretty much the entire card. (However, if I thought that it would matter, I probably would have voted for Badanarik. But everyone knows that in Florida your vote doesn't count anyway, so I don't see any harm done regardless.)
Posted by Susan email at May 3, 2005 11:38 PM
I knew Susan would win, but I didn't know she is a student of yours. Congratulations to Terry too. Now you both have braggin' rights. All the poems were so worth reading. You must do this again sometime with a new topic. It was fun. Unexpectedly, I even got two votes. It makes my day.
Posted by CGL email at May 3, 2005 11:56 PM
Well, Susan, then there's hope. Uhh, who's Badanarik?
Hello, Mudda. By the way, I remember a poem you wrote some years ago - "It just came into my head!" - in the middle of the night because Dad was snoring or something. Send it to me and I'll post it.
Posted by William Luse email at May 4, 2005 02:15 AM
"Uhh, who's Badanarik?"
exactly.
Posted by Susan email at May 4, 2005 08:39 AM
susan is still young, God bless her heart; hopefully she'll walk on back over to the bright side - Lord knows she's smart 'nuff to. cross over, susan, all are welcome. [i'll send susan a blue ribbon if she calls me on my quote.]
yeeHAW, for mamaT. i'm so proud of her. i hope i can convince her to post her winning entry at our site.
i look forward to your next poetry contest, mr. luse. may i recommend a topic? i would say howabout the subject of cheese, as GK Chesterton is quoted as having said that "poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese," but perhaps there is a good reason for't.
Posted by smockmomma email at May 4, 2005 11:18 AM
What????
No kiss from the Luse lips?????
Why did I enter, then?
Ah, well, probably all for the best that there is no prize, for then I would dump my day job as wife and mommy to write awful poetry and apply for grants from the NEA.
You've saved me, Bill, you just didn't know it.
Posted by MamaT email at May 4, 2005 12:04 PM
Okay, Susan, I get it.
Micki, that' an excellent idea. Maybe upcoming soon.
Terry, I'd offer that particular reward if could be carried out in secret. Problem is, that wonderful mouse poem at the top of the competition post was authored by none other than Craig Southard.
Posted by William Luse email at May 4, 2005 02:16 PM
Go into the light. There is peace and serenity in the light.
Carol Anne, listen to me!! Do NOT go into the light!! Stop where you are. Turn away from it. Don't even look at it!
This house is clean.
PS Where's my blue ribbon?
Posted by Susan email at May 4, 2005 06:11 PM
Oh, Susan, if there was one thing I'd hoped my course might do for you it was that you might be motivated to pick up a book now and then so that the lines haunting your mind would be ones that will actually live through the ages. Micki's aggravating things because she's a movie nut too. By the way, have you seen the remake of Amityville? I've heard that it's awful. Most memorable line: "You're house scares me." Uttered by a hapless priest, of course.
Posted by William Luse email at May 4, 2005 06:28 PM
AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE SUBMITTED ONE!!!!
Well, how 'bout that.
Posted by MamaT email at May 4, 2005 08:51 PM
Williyum, you have a very good memory. I'd like to send you that poem, but I don't remember it. Was it years ago, and about Dad's snoring? Give me a clue. I do have many other poems written here and there and now and then. At least I think they are poems (maybe not). They are mostly nonsensical and written for special occasions. I could gum up the works on your website, but I won't. Love, Mudda
Posted by CGL email at May 4, 2005 11:49 PM
Grandma Luse: How do you know I have a good memory if you can't remember the poem I refer to? Just stick them all in an email and I'll sort through them.
Terry - it ain't bad, neither. Do you feel like there might be a competition brewing? (P.S. As to your not knowing: Men can keep secrets too.)
Posted by William Luse email at May 5, 2005 01:41 AM
miss susan, just send me your snailmail in an email and i'll get that blue ribbon right on over. no kidding. we TEXANS can detect composte a mile away, but we don't usually throw it -- tho' we'll spin a good yarn ever now'n agin.
Posted by smockmomma email at May 6, 2005 08:39 PM
Congrats to all entries. Tryfon Tolides, eat your heart out!
I have discovered that contemporary poetry contests, even the formal "professional" ones, are notoriously incestuous. There is even a website with a forum dedicated to rooting out corruption in poetry contests. They don't seem to think rewarding bad poetry is per se evidence of corruption, but I think I may direct their attention to the poem that inspired this contest(heh... "Inspirational Poem," but not in the Hallmark greeting card sense.)
Website: http://www.foetry.com
I'll see if I can take the time to direct their attention to America. Come to think of it, one of their criticisms is that often the prize goes to a current or former student of a teacher on the judging panel. Professor Luse, watch out! They may get wind of your favoritism. After all, NOTHING is highly valued these days, and poets are forever writing reams of lines making much ado about it.
Posted by Kevin Jones email at May 9, 2005 05:58 PM
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