In Competition No. 2994 you were invited to submit a letter of complaint from a fictional character to his, hers or its creator complaining about their portrayal. There are some long lines this week (blame Poe) and as the standard was high, I’ll step aside to make space for six winners. The excellent entries printed below earn their authors £25 each.
Weak and weary, ever yearning, when the midnight oil is burning;
In a rare trochaic meter bygone sorrows you explore.
As you sit there ruminating, pondering your woes, I’m stating
That I find it nauseating, this obsession with Lenore,
For you treat me with derision, eulogise your teenage whore,
Sadly, not your only flaw.
Perching on the bust of Pallas, I’m appalled that you’re so callous:
‘Grim, ungainly, ghastly fowl’ — words that cut me to the core,
For my mood is bright and cheery, resting in my sculptured eyrie —
You portray me gaunt and scary, calumny that I deplore.
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