Wordsworth

The challenge was to write a brief poem about a summer road trip in Aotearoa.

John Mills, Gebbies Valley: Forget the endless Sahara/And the rally in far Botswana/For a singular treat/You can’t possibly beat/A safari to Motukarara.

Anne Martin, Helensville: “Dad, while I would not be so juvenile/As to whine

‘are we there yet?’/Some indication of our location and ETA/Would be much appreciated.”

John Edgar, Christchurch: I drive from Fairlie to Tekapo,/through Mackenzie’s finest land./I crest the hill, expecting to see/a vista oh so grand./And lo, there in front of me,/a bloody campervan.

Maree Burt-Graham, Auckland: Do we need a map?/Of course not, I know exactly where we’re going/Okay, just thought I’d check/I’ve driven this road hundreds of times/You missed the turn-off/If you’re so damned clever, why don’t you drive?

Tony Clemow, Kamo: I thought I’d do the Waikato./I thought I’d prove a dynamo./By Te Kuiti, Otorohanga,/I couldn’t hack it any longer./I calmed my nerves at Kawhia/and yarned with surfing Pākehā.

Rex McGregor, Auckland: See great walks inundated/With hordes of trampers/ And forests irrigated/By freedom campers.

But the Bay of Plenty’s David Wort is the winner: Wellsford 10 K, said the big yellow sign./”No, go left here,” said nephew Tim, aged nine./”It’s a shortcut. We lived there, so I know.”/The road was dusty, twisty, scary, slow./Tar-seal ahead! Oh, welcome sight divine!/Wellsford 10 K, said the big yellow sign.

For the next contest, suppose you are writing a swashbuckling adventure novel. Send us a title for your work and an atrocious opening sentence. For inspiration, you may enjoy reading the winners of the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest at: bulwer-lytton.com/2019

Entries, for the prize below, close at noon on Thursday, December 12. 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.