[John Whitworth]

This is winning material. But the second line in the second stanza has an extra foot and (I think) the fourth line too). Much better than mine. I mean it.

[Marion Shore]

Ever since I was a little lad,
I've been averse to noise. (Just ask my dad.)
When I went off to college, I shared a pad
With several other students. It was bad!
Their all night parties nearly drove me mad.
The very day that I became a grad,
I moved out to the country, fled the mad-
ding crowd. No neighbors there to ad-
dle my tender nerves--Boy was I glad!

Alas, to my chagrin, I have to add
the ending of my tale is rather sad.
A violinist moved next door--egad!
destroying the peace and quiet I once had.
Something there is that doesn't like a Strad.

[Marion Shore]

Dude, you know your fish!
If yours doesn't win, I'll eat shad. And scad. And (assuming you can use slants) my hat.

[Roger Slater]

Thanks!

Good catch on the S2L2, John. How embarrassing. I'm sure I can fix it (I think I must have intended to leave out the word "Medal" but forgot -- I'll go back and make that change right now). L4, however, I think might scan. It depends on eliding "ius" however, and maybe I can't depend on that.

Marion, yours is fun, and a sonnet no less! If the Oldie doesn't take it, there's always Nemerov (though I suppose you'd prefer the Oldie since you already bagged a Nemerov).

[Julie Steiner]

Speechless
to my neighbor’s daughter

When thinking what I could’ve pad
(um, paid, I mean) for Yo Yo Mad
(er, Ma) CDs to blast as lad
(uh, loud) as you have always plad,
I’ve crad.

Whatever piece--nocturne, O bad
(aubade, I mean), etude--you've trad,
I think how I’d appalled...applad...
applaud...if I could hear a Strad
instad.

[Roger Slater]

Julie! I like.

[Zita Zenda]

Straddling Secrets

When dreaming up Mankind, the powers had
the best in mind. There were a myriad
of choices to be made; of course, to add
a balanced blend of healthy good and bad,
they listed pros and cons down on their pad.

When all was said and done they were quite glad
to find that one man had designed the Strad
to soothe the savage beasts within the sad.
When science searches secrets, it’s a tad
like looking for a needle in a nad.

[Marion Shore]

Zita, I like it!
What's a nad?



This one's sheer lunacy. Think of it as a Disney animation.

The Three Violins

Three violins were feeling bad.
It seemed a stuck-up strapping young lad
was the latest toast of the town. "Egad!"
cried out the eldest (whose name was Brad).
"Although he may drive the critics mad,
he's an upstart, a cockscomb, and, I might add,
a nine days wonder, a passing fad.
Then tune up your strings, and don't be sad!"
So they fiddled and danced, rejoiced and were glad,
singing "Who's afraid of the big bad Strad?"

[Maryann Corbett]

Originally Posted by Marion Shore

Zita, I like it!
What's a nad?

Psst, Zita. I'd like to know too. It doesn't show up in Merriam-Webster. It does show up in the online slang dictionaries with the meaning "gonads, testicles." I'm missing something here.

[Marion Shore]

POLYGLOT SANTA

Merry Christmas to every lass and lad!
Joyeux Noël! Fröhliche Weihnachten! Glad
Jul! Buon Natale! ¡Feliz Navidad!