Your limerick winners are here

Sun., March 17, 2013

Dan Webster

OK, we've put all 136 of the entries in our inaugural Spokane7 St. Patrick's Day Limericks contest through a rigorous judging process. And we've come up with what we consider to be the top efforts.

First, in the open category, we have two entries that took our requirement about referring to a local creature and came up with inventive references to area team mascots. In third place we have Sharon (who gave us no last name) who seems to be an alumna of Eastern Washington University:

The Bulldogs can beat any beagle.

Their courtwork is really quite regal.

But football’s my game,

(Though the red field’s a shame.)

Just call me an old Eastern Eagle!

In second place we have Richard Schute, who questions how America's No. 1-ranked men's basketball team got its nickname:

About Eagles as Eags I will nag,

Though from Cougar a Coug you can drag,

If the name explains how,

What I want to know now,

How does Bulldog turn into a Zag?

And in first place, a local poet who used to regularly enter the contest when I ran it for the print edition of The Spokesman-Review. Here, then, is the overall winning entry by Chris Cook, who chose to write about a children's favorite visitor's spot in Riverfront Park:

Nearing 40, the garbage goat stands,

Seeking only the trash in our hands;

Since he eats to excess,

Tell me: How’s he possess

Such a waistline—it never expands?

Turning to the other categories, we received only a single entry in the middle/high school category, and it didn't adhere to limerick style enough to be considered. That left us with the entries from Logan Elementary, of which we chose the best two.

In second place, Carmen (no last name) chose to write about a serpent with sharp teeth. The judges were particularly impressed with how well Carmen rhymed lines three and four:

There once was a mean snake named Lance,

Who tried to slide up my pants,

He slid down my shirt

And bit me (it hurt)

And now there is no second chance.

Finally, we have the top winner in the Elementary category, a boy named Roberto, (again, no last name) who chose to construct his limerick around two familiar Inland Northwest creatures and who did it in a way that would make Edward Lear proud:

There once was a villainous eagle 

He was famed but not really regal,

The seagulls are praying,

When that eagle is saying,

“Boy, I’m hungry for seagull.”

Winners should call Joe Butler at (509) 459-5059. You can read all the submissions by clicking here. Now that the judges have had their say, make a case for your own winners.