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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

I saw the contest note and pressed on with anticipation.
I saw the rules and experienced no great trepidation.

Spellcheck a must. God knows I'm in favour of that.
And I’d also love a ban on Text chat

All forms welcome was nice to see
Many contests ban rhyming poets like me.

The limited line length is not too difficult to obey
80 verse sagas are too hard for me to essay.

Then there’s the handy little word list.
A selected lexicon of words not to be missed

I offer a prayer that I can follow these strictures
Using words normally associated with scriptures.

We should all be able to turn our hands
To the task of obeying these minor demands

Heaven knows our language is a rich enough field
And I love the results its use will yield.

But then I look closer at the words you suggest
And I find a pill that’s hard to digest.

What is this word “testiment”?
I'm sure that can’t be what you meant.

My spellchecker shows that as an illegible word
Whose use in your contest is rather absurd.

I am certain that it was your sincere intent
To ask us to include . . . . testament!!

Author notes

This is only a bit of fun on seeing TESTIMENT (sic) in the word list for a competition insisting on the use of a spell check. Well at least it didn't say I had to OBEY the spell check, just use it.

For non Latin readers the title is roughly translated as "Who Watches The Watchers?" the closest I could get to "Who Judges The Judges"?

In a list

A contest entry

    : , Your review:

    Comment Suggestion: What is your your first impression? • Line numbers
    : no Cost: 0 free left 0 points, You have (?) (Line numbers)

Comments

1 - 9 of 9

  • waydownuponjoy
    August 19

    Edit | Reply

    Well done ...

    and a perfect entry! You seemed to cover all of the contests rules as stated and good use of the word list as well! I enjoyed your testiment about testament for it made for a good ending. Good luck. j y


    • I-Like-Rhymes gold member
      August 20
      Edit | Reply
      Thanks Joy.
      I didn't get anywhere with the competition (I think my entry was a bit too irreligious?)
      Still it was fun to write and the judge wasn't rude about it
      I've just noted I used illegible instead of ineligable but I'll leave it.
      Jim

  • Gordon silver member
    August 1
    Edit | Reply
    A contest poem about the contest rules. cool!


  • Nature Song silver member
    July 29

    Edit | Reply
    Thank you for reminding all of us we are surely never perfect in our wording! lol... As far as Testiment or Testament...your poem survived it well! Thank you for your entry! Good luck!! ~sie


  • Gaze silver member
    July 27

    Edit | Reply
    What a surprise to know that there are still contests here that allow rhymes. I like writing free verse just as much as forms that use rhymes, and still can't get why rhymes seem to be (for many poets here) something from hell.
    Your poem is quite funny, the testiment was surely a typo, but you used so well in your poem.

    I like the funny rhymes you do
    but wish (once) to see you writing haiku
    (one of my fav. form of poetry)

    Mari

1 - 9 of 9