61 | Wordsworth

The challenge was to compose a short limerick about a character from mythology or folklore. Icarus was a popular choice; this from Paul Kelly of Palmerston North: Icarus wanted to escape Crete/On wings of wax with feathers replete./Flying close to the sun/ Meant his wings were undone./Such hubris was no match for the heat.

Picton’s Nozz Fletcher: Icarus wished to end climate turmoil/Using solar power not gas, coal and oil,/So he flew up to Apollo,/But his Dad didn’t follow,/And he crashed as his waxed feathers boiled.

Auckland’s Gail Johnson: Maui was a consummate liar/And took things down to the wire./With the goddess Mahuika,/ He tricked her and freaked her/And captured the secret of fire. Bay of Plenty’s David Wort: Helen turned everyone’s head/And Paris took her to bed./”Better,” she said/When they counted the dead,/”To have broken it off instead.”

Also from David: By pulling the sword from the stone,/Arthur made England his own./At war all his life,/Betrayed by his wife,/He just wished he’d left it alone.

Also popular was Robin Hood. From Whangaparaoa’s Kaye Bennetts: “It’s a puzzle to me,” Robin said,/ In his jerkin and hose of bright red./”How the sheriff and his men/Find us time and time again/Should our clothing be dark green instead?” fitting entry from Pakuranga’s David Merriman is this week’s winner: Robin Hood was a hero of old/His Merry Men were skilful and bold/He took from the wealthy/To make the poor healthy/In our MMP he’d be pure gold.

For the next contest, create a four-line real estate slogan for extraterrestrials visiting Earth. Entries, for the prize below, close at noon, August 10.

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