Carnival Poetry Competition for Adults

The winner of the 2009 Carnival Poetry Competition is Evelyn Knowles.
Her poem, and those from the other entrants, follows.

Ventnor Library and Ventnor Carnival Association congratulate Evelyn and thank her and all the entrants for participating.
Hopefully, this year's competition will be the first of what may become a traditional feature of Ventnor's wonderful Carnival Week celebrations.

We have faithfully transcribed every poem (original spelling and punctuation unchanged) and we hope you enjoy reading them.

Tess Jessop of Ventnor Library and Eddie Goodlet, Chairman of the Ventnor Carnival Association.

2009 Competition Winner

TELL ME
WAS THAT A PIRATE I SAW YOU WITH LAST NIGHT
DID HE HAVE A CUTLASS? WAS HE GOING TO FIGHT?
DID HE SHOW A SWAGGER? DID HE TREAT YOU ROUGH?
DID HE STAY UP DRINKING 'TIL HE'D HAD ENOUGH

YES. THAT WAS A PIRATE YOU SAW ME WITH LAST NIGHT.
HIS CUTLASS WAS OF CARDBOARD, NO NEED TO TAKE A FRIGHT,
COULD BE THAT THERE WERE OTHERS IN COSTUMES OF DISGUISE.
FOR CARNIVAL MEANS FUN TIME, WE DRESS UP, WIN A PRIZE.

Evelyn Knowles

"VENTNOR CELEBRATES"

IT'S CARNIVAL!
HOW WONDERFUL.
HERE COMES VENTNOR'S DAY
FROM LOWTHERVILLE TO BAY.
FROM EAST TO WEST
IT BRINGS OUT THE BEST
IN OUR YOUNG AND OUR OLD FOLK
CELEBRATE,SING,DANCE AND JOKE.
RIGHT ROUND THE TOWN
AND OUT TO THE PARK:
ON SATURDAY NIGHT
THEY PARADE IN THE DARK.
WE ENJOY THE WHOLE WEEK,
BANDS - SO OFTEN UNIQUE.
DOG SHOWS AND MUSIC SHOWS,
QUEENS AND EVEN "WHO KNOWS?",
SOMETHING EVERY DAY -
EVEN WINDOW-SPOT BESIDE THE BAY.
FANCY DRESS ANS STILTS AND WINGS,
THEY OFFER US SO MANY THINGS.
FANCY DRESS IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES,
PROUDLY SHOWING WHO WON PRIZES.
EACH YEAR ONE WHOLE WEEK OF FUN
FOR YOU, ME AND EVERYONE.
A SHOW PUT ON THAT'S BEAUITFUL -
IT'S TIME!
IT'S HERE!
IT'S CARNIVAL!

David Small

VENTNOR CARNIVAL

Don't be mean
Save your pennies throughout the year.
Then enjoy the Carnival Queens passing by in all their glory;
The floats will give you pleasure as you recognise their story.

Stand and wait, same each year.
Are they coming? Are they here?
All the crowd give a loud cheer, as the band and mayor appear.
Pretty girls oh so proudly, give shy little waves
and say "Oh dear, where are all the Knaves".

Bands in fancy dress, some looking quite a mess.
We love the tunes and banging drums
especially the Samba Gang and Skimbo's Jazz musicians
Shake the tin and throw it in,
All that money, we hope so, where does it go?

Saturday evening the same, but all lit up.
Will it rain? No it will shine.
Beer is drunk, shops do well,
Police are friendly with the crowd,
And then we start all over again.....

Carole Quinn

CARNIVAL

FLAGS AND BANNERS IN THE STREET,
ITS CARNIVAL TIME _ OH WHAT A TREAT,
DEAR OLD VENTNOR WAKING UP
AND DRESSING UP
NO ONE KNOWS WHO ANYONE IS,
THEY ARE IN DISGUISE
WITH MASKS AND CLOAKS AND ODD SHAPED HATS
FURS AND EARS IN FUNNY PLACES
LONG FROCKS SHORT FROCKS
WHAT CREATIONS.

NOW HERE COMES THE QUEEN
AND HER MAIDS
A PRETTY PICTURE TO BE SURE
AND DAD LOOKS ON
AS PROUD AS PIE
WHILE MOTHER SOFTLEY PIPES HER EYE.

THROUGH THE TOWN THEY WEND THEIR WAY
PIPES AND DRUMS A GOOD DISPLAY.
A LIVELY TUNE TO SET THE PACE
ALL ROUND THE TOWN
AND OUT TO THE PARK.
ITS GETTING DARK
AND PRETTY LIGHTS COME ON
TWINKLE AND SAY
THAT WAS A LOVELY CARNIVAL DAY.

Win Smit

THE CARNIVAL FLOAT

The meetings, the decisions, the theme.
Something historical, phantasmagorical,
or even some dream.

Next the vehicle and it's trailer.
Beg, borrow or steal her
preferably a four wheeler.
Flatbed or wagon or even a car
When it's finished, it will be a star.

Now it begins, behind closed doors -
the transformation.
A Castle, a Palace, a Rainbow, a Nation.
With paint and cardboard and satin and silk
with tinsel and glitter and bows,
the work goes on for hours and hours.

At last the tableau comes to life,
Here come the Queen and Princesses,
Here come the Fairies and Elves,
Seated high on the float they smile and wave.

Now it is finished, ready to go,
with music playing and crowds waving,
proudly the workers watch as -
majestically,
the Queens leads the bands, the dancers, the jugglers
in this year's Carnival Parade.

Jeanette Walters

Beneath the Waves

Beneath the waves the sea-bred girls
Caress the hulls of passing ships.
Their siren voices, seaweed hair
Lure mariners to watery death
And in deep love-words with ozone breath.

And when the sea is calm and still
With never a wind to stir the waves
The sea-bred maids are sleeping sound
Dreaming deep in their soft kelp beds
Of wrecks and tempest, jewels and gold
Or fish-filled mermen with noble heads.

Beneath the waves the sea-bred girls
Can raise the storm with their flashing tails.
Their breath, the wild nor'easter, roars
And with their arms make the sea to boil.
Then all the ships on the ocean's road
Must pay a ransome or lose their all.

There's many a crew with a tale to tell
Of the night fought free of those clinging hands
With the wind at it's wildest, the waves at their height
And the tempest-fury of the maids they spurned.
But safe into port, on a light morning tide,
There stayed but a ghost-face in the memory burned.

Vera Scott-Jackson

1988

Poem published in the 1988 Programme
Can anyone identify the poet - he or she has signed it Anon?

They also serve who stand and stare

The Carnival does Ventnor people good,
A freedom to play roles I never could,
As Princes pose in well-cut clothes,
and others play the parts they've chose,
This year, again I'll stand and see,
The kerbside watchers such as me,
This hasn't changed since pageants first.
So many with their shyness cursed.

I lack the nerve to costume wear,
Admiring those who do I stare,
and wonder should this town demand.
All present dress upon command?
The shy, or pompous, dress in grey,
as punishment on Gala-day,
Or ban us from the whole parade,
as we have not an effort made.

Of course not ,,, watchers have their place,
Our timid nature's no disgrace,
As much a part of all that crowd,
Not fancy-dressed; but just as loud,
we line the streets, support's our role,
Release from care the common goal,
They also serve who stand and stare,
and coins for worthy causes spare...

Anon