Last call for contest

Last week I announced an “ultraconserved words” poetry contest.  (If you missed it, read here.)  A quick re-cap:  write a poem using 15 of the 23 words that some linguists believe have been around since the end of the last ice age.  The words are: I, we, thou, ye, who, this, that, what, mother, male/man, not, worm, bark, hand, ashes, fire, to give, to pull, to spit, to flow, and to hear.  Of course you can use any form of the verbs and singular or plural of the nouns.

 

I’m amending the contest.  First, I’m re-naming it a challenge, not a contest.  A contest should have a prize, and I don’t have a prize to give.  I’ve only received a handful of entries (all wonderful!), and so I’m able to post them all.  Also, entries only need to use ten of the words.  Fifteen seems a little much, although I’ve been impressed with what people have done so far.

 

So those are the rules and here’s a deadline:  by the end of the day June 1.  Sometimes a firm deadline is the best muse.

 

If you’ve never written a poem before, why not try?  Be brave–you’ve got nothing to lose.

 

Email entries to poemelf@yahoo.com.  And look for pictures of your poems posted next week!

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