Poetry Contest

The finals of the National Poetry Contest last year came down to two finalists. One was a Yale University Law School graduate from an upper crust family; well-bred, well-connected, and all that goes with it. The other finalist was an engineer from the University of Texas and could best be described as somewhat of a redneck.

The rules of the contest required each finalist to compose a four-line poem in one minute or less, and the poem had to contain the word "Timbuktu".

The Yale graduate went first. About thirty seconds after the clock started he jumped up and recited the following poem:

Slowly across the desert sand
Trekked the dusty caravan.
Men on camels, two by two
Destination: Timbuktu.

The audience went wild! How, they wondered could the redneck top that?

The clock started again and the redneck sat in silent thought. Finally, in the last few seconds, he jumped up and recited:

Tim and me, a-huntin' went
Met three whores in a pop-up tent.
They was three, we was two
So I bucked one and Timbuktu.

Can you guess who won?

Up to Jelks' Home Page / misc / subjects / language /