Spectator competition: write an ode on the death of a pet in unusual circumstances (plus what Leigh Hunt’s Jenny did next)

Leigh Hunt’s much-anthologised mini rondeau ‘Jenny Kissed Me’ was the inspiration for the latest challenge, which asked competitors to take its first line, substitute another word for ‘kissed’ and continue for up to 16 lines. The poem was apparent-ly inspired by Thomas Carlyle’s wife, Jane Welsh, who gave Hunt a smacker on learning that he’d recovered from a severe bout of flu — as Ray Kelley obviously knows. Here is the concluding half of his excellent entry:

Who was Jenny, from her chair Leaping? It was Jane Carlyle. She and Tom, that inkstained pair, Were my neighbours for a while. Sometimes only Jane was there In their Chelsea domicile… Memories make this crocodile Smile.

Jenny proved to be a real crowd-puller and produced a high-calibre field. A con-gratulatory slap on the back all round, with special mentions to A.J.K. Backus, Mi-chael Growcott, Nick Grace, Matt Quinn, Gail White and Mike Morrison. The magnificent seven printed below earn their authors £20 each.