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With seafarers well known for their tall tales, one of the UK’s oldest seafaring charities launched a national limerick competition designed to celebrate life at sea to mark World Poetry Day on 21st March.
The Charity’s second annual Seafaring Limerick Competition was judged by comic poet and voice of Radio 4 Matt Harvey.
Matt’s way with words has taken him from Totnes to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships via Saturday Live, the Edinburgh Festival and the Work section of the Guardian. He is also host of Wondermentalist – Radio 4’s comedy-infused, musically enhanced interactive poetry cabaret.
Participants were encouraged to pen a five line poem about the ocean and the men and women who dedicate their lives to working at sea, and all the challenges this entails.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the competition. The winners video can be viewed here:
The runners up video can be viewed here:
The winner of the adult category was Michael Green from New Holland in North Lincolnshire:
There was an old seadog from Hull
Whose features resembled a gull
His voice was a squawk
His waddle a walk
And his outlook was invariably dull
The winner in the under 18s category was Eben Cohen-King (7) from Totnes in Devon:
A thoughtful lifeboatman called Dave
is very kind and brave;
He once saved the life
of a man and his wife
when they had got stuck in a cave.
Finalist and an honorary mention went to Mike Brookes from Beverley in Yorkshire:
The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society – Our Pledge
If you find that your life is a wreck
We can help get your feet back on deck.
We’ll throw you a line
And you will be fine-
If needs be, we’ll send you a cheque!
The second finalist place went to Ailsa McKillop:
Great Britons! When next in libation
Toast our Navy, with due veneration!
From the chef in the galley
To the Captain, they rally
To safeguard our seas and our nation.
