Welcome back, Pat Lewis

Hi everyone,

On August 24 it was my pleasure to feature J. Patrick Lewis, our reigning U. S. Children’s Poet Laureate, who treated us to a poetic challenge that he dubbed PARROTY. What pursued was a frenzy of witty poems posted by witty poets. If you haven’t revisited that occasion lately, be sure you do. It would be a shame to let so much fun and talent get swept under the list of posts since then!

Pat mentioned that he might have another challenge when I felt the time was right. I think the time is right. So here is the latest from Pat:

Hi David,
Here’s another one: One word does not a poem make, or a new verse form. But it does qualify as wordplay. The title is self-explanatory. I included three one-worders (not any of those below) in my new IF YOU WERE A CHOCOLATE MUSTACHE, just now coming out from Wordsong/BMP.
Best,
Pat

ONE-WORDERS

Bungee jumper Boyo-yo
Antarctic survivor Pengwin
Joey’s house Kangaroom
Number One doctor Peediatrician
Pasta-filled cookie Macarooni
Green poodle Broccollie
Doggie park Terriertory
Robin’s snack  Earthwo-
Speedread Gobble-de-book
Arithmetic whiz Mathlete
One-fifth of a house Two-tents
World’s largest telescope Vastronomer
What a guillotine does  Disconnecks
Number one eye doctor  Toptometrist
Mule train (or, Donkey cart) Wheelburro
Rodent whiskers Mousetache
Fenced flower bed Guarden
Full cemetery Overcrowdead
Heat wave Fahrenheight
Ruined shaped  Wreckedangle
Look, a fly—no, it’s  Souperman!
The Wordplay’s the Thing Shakespirit

So there we have it. And for all those poets who routinely solve my Word of the Month one-word challenge, this should be great fun indeed. I’ve given it a shot with some of my own.

Dodging creditors: Billgame
Boring crocodile: Crocodull
Humorless settlers: Pilgrumps
Cane manufacturer in Chicago: Chicanery
Fruit injected with growth hormones: Plumps&Amples
Wilted flower garden: Lackadaisycal
Pigs in a pond: Waterfoul
Mothers who rob banks: Momsters
Insect pests at a Paris picnic: Frenchflies
Determined dolphin: Porpoiseful
Crazy astronaut on the moon: Lunartic

David