Spectator competition winners: Sonnets found in ‘Theresa’s loony bin’

G.K. Chesterton once observed that ‘poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese’. Well, not the anonymous author of the curious poem that inspired the latest challenge — to submit a ‘Sonnet Found in a Deserted Mad House’. Line eight of this sonnet, which appeared in A Nonsense Anthology (1915), edited by Carolyn Wells, refers to ‘…mournful mouths filled full of mirth and cheese…’

Though there was no cheese in your excellent and varied compositions, food did feature (a boiled egg — two mentions — artichokes, yogurt, custard pies…). There was also a strong topical thread — for mad house read House of Commons — which is reflected in the winners below, who, in a hotly contested week, take £20 each.

Alan Millard

Wild ayes and noes resound inside my brain

Indicative of something I suppose,

Who has it? Do the noes or ayes? Who knows?

To me the ayes and noes are all insane.