[Julie Steiner]

This thread was inspired by Sam's announcement that River Styx was looking for work on the theme of games. That issue is apparently full now, but some of us still want to play. So, feel free to post your "Parcheesi sonnets and tiddly wink villanelles" here. Met and non-met work equally welcome here.

I'll hop back here to post the one I did in high school about my sister cheating at solitaire...if I can find it...

*******

Found it. This was in response to my English teacher's objection that my sonnets were not really sonnets, because they didn't follow a Shakespearean or Petrarchan pattern all the way through. I never did convince Mr. Neegard that this was any less contemptible than cheating at solitaire, but I remain as unrepentant about my infractions as my sister did about hers.

My sister cheats at solitaire. She'll deal
and then decide which pattern's best to play.
When stuck, she will unscrupulously steal
an ace whose rightful turn's six cards away.

You might, when clubs and spades are set on hearts,
assume she's alternating black and red;
but don't be too astounded if she starts
to reassemble spades on spades instead.

My sister cheats at solitaire, and I'm
a sonnet-writing cheater, I admit.
I'll start things out Shakespearean, then quit
halfway, to end Petrarchan, half the time.
The turn comes late or early? Let it be.
What's good enough for Milton's good for me.

(My kids were very impressed to learn that back in the Dark Ages of my youth, we had to play solitaire without a computer.)