Wordsworth

Gabe Atkinson

This week’s challenge asked for a fourline poem containing predictions for 2019. Use of the name “Trump” was prohibited in order to stymie the easy rhyme with “chump” ( Wordsworth gets a lot of these), but crafty entrants still found ways to include him. Climate change and Brexit also featured heavily.

Anne Martin of Helensville writes: The name we’re not allowed to mention/Must be given some attention/For in the coming year it’s certain/He’ll not remain behind the curtain.

John Mills, Gebbies Valley: They’ll cast some clout/’Til May is out./A Belfast wall/ Might be the call.

Rex McGregor, Auckland: There’ll be more storms and fires./Prepare for flood and flame./But climate-change deniers/ Will still remain the same.

Andrea Levarre-Waters of Auckland (to the tune of R.E.M.’s Orange Crush): Follow him?/Don’t follow him!/They ditched their swine./They ditched their orange crush.

A weather warning from Kathy Gillard of Christchurch: In the summer it will rain./ Then in autumn, rain again./In the winter, lots of showers,/And rain in spring, for hours and hours.

Keith Davidson, Blenheim: The world’s many problems will still await solving,/

The White House front door will keep on revolving./Each time we are told that some sucker’s been fired/A tweet will read: “Great man, whom I truly admired.”

But the winner is Jo Murphy of Waikanae (with apologies to Handel):

The Trumpet shall sound,/The wall shall be raised./The globe shall heat up,/And we shall be braised!

For the next contest, send tips for frugal living. Suggestions may be submitted as poetry of up to four lines or brief prose. Entries, for the prize below, close at noon on Thursday, January 17.

Submissions: wordsworth@listener.co.nz or Wordsworth, NZ Listener, Private Bag 92512, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141. Please include your address. Entries may be edited for sense or space reasons.