A NONSENSE POEM

Southland Times, Issue 23828, 27 May 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

A NONSENSE POEM

—PRIZE—

While climbing in the Alps one day I saw a Hindoo making hay. And there amidst the snow and ice, Were monkeys playing games of dice.

Then off I went to Bingle Bungle, A well-known town out in the jungle, Where living lions all stuffed with straw Were eating boiled potatoes raw.

When to the Pole I chanced to go I met a ten-foot Eskimo, Who walked on stilts to save his feet— He said he couldn’t stand the heat.

Oh many funny things were there, A sky blue-purple polar bear. Green seals who danced on plate glass flippers, And fed themselves on “curried kippers.” —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Jacqueline Reid (13), 107 Lewis street.

—PRIZE—

One fine October morning, In April last July, The moon lay thick upon the ground, The snow shone in the sky. The birds were in full bloom, The flowers were singing sweetly, As I went to the cellar To sweep an upstairs room. 'Twas in the month of Edinburgh, The city of July, The sun was raining very fast, The streets were soaking dry. The time was Tuesday morning, On Wednesday late at night, I saw ten thousand miles away, A house just out of sight. ’Twas midnight on the ocean Not a tramcar was in sight, The sun was shining brightly, And it rained all day and night. -Prize of 1/- to Cousin Violet Officer (12), Wrights Bush.

—PRIZE-

The sky was tinted flaming red. The sun pursued the moon, The stars shone from the golden earth, And midnight was at noon.

And from the sacks that filled the barn Appeared a fearsome rat, It waited for its timid prey, A daring green-eyed cat.'

They met and started quarrelling, But very soon, the rat Was seated on the bristly back, Of the ill-fated cat.

And when a spider on the wall, Beheld this wondrous sight, It thought it would be very brave, And put its foes to flight.

It pounced upon the cat and rat, Who scampered far away, The daring spider then was left The monarch of the day. —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Raynor Huffadine M.A.C., (13), 94 Nelson street.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— Last night as I ran up a tree, I looked down up above, I heard a roar as of a bull, It was a gentle dove.

—HIGHLY COMMENDED— It was early in the morning I woke up very late, I could hear the rooster barking He sat up very late.

It ran at me, for it was wild. And I flew to the ground, Then down it climbed and bit my heel, And chased me round and round. —3 marks to Cousin Leonard Lake (12), A.C., Section 8, Glencoe R.D.

The chickens gave a dreadful squeal, The piggies flew away, I could see the mountains running As we all said “Good-day.”

—2 marks to Cousin Yorath Winsloe (12), Merrivale R.D., Otautau.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— The summer is cold and dreary, The sun blows wild and strong, The frost shines in the morning, We hear no bird’s sweet song.

The winter is the happiest season, The dogs sing round us again. The flowers bloom so sweetly In the glorious snow and rain.

The winter comes with sunshine, The days are long and bright, We sit out in the twilight On a warm winter’s night.

Spring comes with fallen leaves, The fiowers are fading fast, The cows are flying seaward Before the summer blast. —3 marks to Cousin Margaret McCleery V.A.C., (12), 193 Ritchie street.

—HIGHLY COMMENDED— I have a little cat, So brown, So brown, So round. So round, So brown, I have a little cat, So round, So brown, So round, So brown.

—2 marks to Cousin Jack Rawle (14), Great North road, Winton.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— One dark and stormy winter night, The sun was shining, warm and

bright. I jumped out of my cosy bed, To watch a car fly overhead.

An aeroplane sailed gracefully. Across the cow-infested sea.' A full-rigged ship did race along The white road: while sheep sang a song.

Sharks and whales, and salmon so grand, All ran about upon the land. The flowers in a garden gay. Did laugh and talk all of the day.

—3 marks to Cousin Iris Winsloe A.C., (14), Merrivale R.D., Otautau —HIGHLY COMMENDED— If I were a bee, a bee I would be, I’d make all the people take notice of me, I’d sit on a tree, and sing about the sea, I'd sing about its beauty, If I vjere a bee. If I were a cow, I’d say bow-wow, To the people who came to milk me, They’d whip me with a bough, And again I’d say bow-wow, If I were a cow. —2 marks to Cousin Daphne Todd (13), corner Elies road and Vernon street.