[Marcus Sevat]

Vanitas vanitatum, Nigel

[Nigel Mace]

Indeed - thanks for that, Marcus, I hadn't noticed my typo. Including all the entries here of course!

[Rob Stuart]

“It's a Snark!” was the sound that first came to their ears,
And seemed almost too good to be true.
The pronouncement was greeted with clapping and cheers
From the weary, demoralised crew.

“But can you be sure?” called the Bellman. “It’s dark,
And they’re hard to distinguish by day.
Remember a Boojum looks just like a Snark,
But can make a man vanish away.”

“I think,” said the Baker, “I’m probably right,
For it smells pretty Snarkish to me;
A blend of Disraeli and Turkish Delight
With a hint of the Sargasso Sea.”

And as he expounded upon his belief
He emerged with the prize he’d acquired,
And everyone let out a sigh of relief,
For the Snark was a Snark, it transpired.

[Graham King]

Originally Posted by Rob Stuart

...
“I think,” said the Baker, “I’m probably right,
For it smells pretty Snarkish to me;
A blend of Disraeli and Turkish Delight
With a hint of the Sargasso Sea.”
...

Rob, what a treat!
You have captured the original flavour - I should say, aroma! - perfectly.

[Graham King]

…
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie,
I count the royalties I’ve earned
By writing of mere flow’rs that die,
Which (trodden underfoot) are spurned;
And then my heart with pleasure fills –
Cold gold lasts, unlike daffodils!

[Rob Stuart]

Originally Posted by Graham King

Rob, what a treat!
You have captured the original flavour - I should say, aroma! - perfectly.

Thanks for your enthusiasm, Graham. I hope Lucy shares it.

[Rob Stuart]

If... by Kipling

If you can bear to sit through breakfast telly
Despite the fact its thoroughly inane,
If you can eat the nasty bits of jelly
They put inside pork pies and not complain,
If you can stand a mobile phone that plays a
Disturbing and abrasive bit of rap,
If you don’t want to take a cutthroat razor
To paintings that are manifestly crap,

And if you think a hat shaped like a panda
Is quite all right for adult winter wear,
And if you’re always happy to withstand a
Vacation courtesy of RyanAir,
And if you can abide a baby’s crying,
Or reckon doing hoovering is fun,
I couldn't really justify denying
That you’re a better man than me, my son.

[Brian Allgar]

Highly entertaining, Rob.

A couple of points:

- This isn't really a new ending, but a reworking.

- Are you sure that "coruscating" is the word you want? (I ask because I once confused it with "excoriating" myself.)

[Rob Stuart]

Quite right, Brian. Funny, I always thought it meant something quite different.

A reworking rather than an alternative ending? Perhaps. But if so I've only reworked the last two stanzas. I reckon I'll give it a whirl.

[Douglas G. Brown]

Terence, malt is not enough;
The poet’s trade is mighty tough,
And other substances appear
More powerful than Ludlow beer.

Before your middle years are nigh,
You’ll find your Muse by getting high;
Begin with hash and wacky weed,
Then graduate to coke and speed.

‘Tis said that life is sweet and short,
So brace yourself and take a snort;
And nothing’s like an acid trip
To make your readers think you’re hip.

But, Terence pay attention, close,
To dodge a fatal overdose;
Avoid the premature demise
Of all those other Shropshire guys.