Nicely, George. I've got thrushes in my garden. It's skylarks that are difficult to find. But I know where to find them. Happy is he who lives in East Kent. We've even got Buzzards and bitterns, which we didn't have before.

This one went off in the wrong direction, since the rhymes were less cheerful than I am:

Hangover

Having had
a merry Christmas,
people hear my
plaintive cry:
yesterday
no longer matters,
every moment
waves good-bye;
young turns old,
endurance falters;
all God's children
race to die.

bravo!
 

Reads good to me, & I doubt if many in the UK are expecting a good new year, given Tory plans.

Thanks, Bazza. And congratulations. In case you haven't checked, you're in the winner's circle again for new year's resolutions.

Really? Best news I've had all day. Thanks for that, & a merry Xmas & good New Year to you & yours.

I'm too lazy to post it up the way John always does, but heres the link:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/wit-and-w...petition.thtml

I'm piggy backing George's thrush. Different take.

Hardy was too morose at times, but once
an aged thrush did manage to engage
poor Tom's extended yen for penitence,
pardon and a painfully gloomy page.
You'll probably never see a single sky,
not in a life time, with broken lyre strings.
(Enthusiast of nether thoughts Tom brings
worse than mere chamber music gone awry);
yet the small thrush appears to realize
exactly what's at stake and cheers the man
and coaxes out a deep, Dorcet elan
right before the reader's worried eyes.

Nice one, Lance, but don't those three middle lines (4,5,6) each have one syllable too many. Of course yu might say 'probly'. I think I do.

Meanwhile.. I can't see this winning any money but I enjoyed doing it.


New Year Letters

Heron, hippopotamus,
Aardvark, aye-aye, anaconda,
Pterodactyl, platypus,
Penguin, python, potto, panda,

Yaffle, yellowhammer, yak
Nightjar, narwhal, natterjack,
Earwig, eagle, emu, eel,
Willow-warbler, whippoorwill,

Yeti… that’s enough of that shit:
Elephants are going batshit,
Alligators, off their trolleys,
Raving at the New Year jollies.

nice jest, Roger
 

That comp was 2008.

John – I enjoyed your nonsense piece too. Was it the Shepherd Neame or are you on acid these days?

Xmas greetings to all.

bazza

John,

Thanks, John. I am swallowing a lot of air there, aren't I? BTW is Lucy hostile to substitutions?

Great fun
Lance