[Michael Cantor]

I think of Villon whenever I read a ballade, but this one didn't particularly bring him or the refrain (which was much more obvious in the one I posted last year) to mind. The strengths here for me are the energy and zest I find in the poem, and the joy of language - and word play, and vocabulary - as well as food. There's a joie de viand here that's seductive. The main weakness - yeah, food poems have been done before. Even food ballades. (But not with such glee!)

[John Whitworth]

This is the best poem here, not least because it was obviously written by someone who is fatter than me and we fat poets have got to stick together.as well as eating and drinking together. Oh, Michael, I wrote a poem in praise of Toad-in-the-Hole (what? You've never eaten it?) and pulled off a rare win at The Oldie.

You are right, Michael, to praise the ENERGY. I like my poems energetic. Chesterton and Ben Jonson, both truly fat men, spring to mind.

[Julie Steiner]

Let me have men about me that are fat,
Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights.
Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 2

[FOsen]

Willing to excuse the padding (npi) and in-jokes because of the ballade form. I think the envoi got slightly botched, though. At least I thought the reference to "latter days" curious for the same reason Julie mentioned.

Frank

[Rick Mullin]

It is to twitter.

RM

[Susan McLean]

Frank, I think "latter days" is referring to old age primarily and just glancing at the Latter Day Saints as part of the wordplay on having to behave oneself more now that one is older. For anyone who doesn't know French, "santé" is a toast meaning "to your health."

Susan

[FOsen]

Merci - je parle francais comme une vache espagnole.

[Maryann Corbett]

Now that all the courses have been served, I'll say thanks to everyone who commented here. I'm revising. Thanks for the votes, too. I got a big smile from Julie's reading, which is darn near clairvoyant.

And a smile from John's too. But it is imperative that I respond by noting that, while the narrator may have a weight problem, the poet tips the scales at 108 pounds.

(The poet's better half, however, has some scary reports from his doctor. I'm the cook, so both of us will be eating differently.)

I think I've now been through the bakeoff blender enough times to be served as a puree.

Thanks again.

[Susan McLean]

I had this one pegged as Marion Shore's because of her great Villon translations. So it was a surprise to see it was Maryann's. Delightful.

Susan