Finish the poem, maybe win a prize
by
Or, more accurately, the limerick.
Those of you who have read Ancillary Sword may remember that at a certain point, Breq asks someone to tell her, in verse, how God is like a duck. And that person replies,
There once was a duck who was God,
Who said, “It’s exceedingly odd.
I fly when I wish
and I swim like a fish,
And she couldn’t get any further. Well, readers, neither could I. And it’s summer in this hemisphere of Earth, and I’ve got some tea to give away. So!
By June 30th, send me your proposed last line for the duck limerick to poem@annleckie.com. My panel of judges will choose three winners. First place will get: one genuine four inch high stuffed Lieutenant Peepsarwat!
(All right, that’s actually a genuine stuffed purple Peep from Easter that I could not resist purchasing for precisely this occasion.) First place will also get one three ounce bag of an Imperial Radch themed tea from Adagio.
Winner’s choice, though sometimes availability is weird so particular blends may be out of stock at the end of June. I am also throwing in a tea infuser, just in case you’re not set up to do loose leaf tea conveniently. (Loose leaf tea is quite convenient once you’ve got a pot and/or removable infuser.)
The plant and the cup aren’t included, they’re just in the picture to look pretty.
Second and third place will get one bag each of an Imperial Radch themed tea! Same conditions as above–winner’s choice, but obviously I can’t send you a blend that’s not available. Oh, and a tea infuser.
So fire up those rhyming engines! Start playing with what might scan. Ponder that deep, ageless philosophical question: How is God like a duck? And send me your conclusion by June 30 of this year.
Editing to add, what I should have remembered to say at first–I will send prizes anywhere. There are no geographical restrictions.
…….but in reality it’s all a facade.
Send it to poem@ or I’ll lose track of it! š
finish the limerick:
but when I try to walk I plod
Send it to poem@ or I’ll lose track of it! š
Are multiple entries allowed, or would you prefer that we just pick a favorite?
I’ve received a few multiple entries, and so far have let them stand. Mostly it’s just people who’ve sent two. If you’ve got two you can’t decide on, then send them both, but if one is definitely your favorite, well, why not just sent the best? Your call, though. š
There once was a duck who was God,
Who said, āItās exceedingly odd.
I fly when I wish
and I swim like a fish,
I have been cloned into an all seeing all knowing flying swimming army and transcended death itself. Kneel before me, for when my mirror-surfaced legions quack in unison all worlds tremble.
send it to poem@ or I’ll lose track of it! š