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. Â First, I’m re-naming it a challenge, not a contest. Â A contest should have a prize, and I don’t have a prize to give. Â I’ve only received a handful of entries (all wonderful!), and so I’m able to post them all. Â Also, entries only need to use ten of the words. Â 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: Â by the end of the day June 1. Â Sometimes a firm deadline is the best muse.
If you’ve never written a poem before, why not try? Â Be brave–you’ve got nothing to lose.
Email entries to poemelf@yahoo.com. Â And look for pictures of your poems posted next week!
Many thanks for your invitation to the contest ,but this time I will say No thanks. I have not that ability to write in a few words ,I ´m afraid. Thanks anyhow and have a lovely weekend.