Hi folks! Welcome to October’s PRIZE cryptic poem. The clues are no harder this month but the poem’s form is a little tricky. Let me explain...

Rather than end-rhymes, this piece rhymes the end word of each line with the first word of the next (or at least part of it), except between the stanzas. Got that? Also, the first word of each stanza rhymes with the last word of the same stanza. Also too, each line has exactly ten syllables, so if you count the remaining syllables in the line, and subtract it from ten, you get the number of syllables in the solution word. Also too as well, be gentle with this poem because it’s one of my favourites. Also too as well additionally, on second thoughts, no-one else seems to like it, so do as you will...

Good Luck!

Final date for entries Friday 29th October and the winner will be announced in the November Edition.  #

The prize is a ten pound voucher for Waterstones, worth an estimated £120*

(*well, alright, but lets face it the telegraph says that the pen that it gives away as a prize is worth loads and it's just a pen and besides which, if you've just completed the telegraph crossword then you clearly already have a pen, so therefore it's worth an estimated nothing because you've already got one)

EMAIL YOUR SOLUTIONS TO dermot@writeoutloud.net

 

Sweet-pea

First comes osmosis, water through --------;

Rain fulfils its promise to ---------,

Saturate with rudimentary ---.

Wrapped no more in a desiccated ----,

All the mystery that existence -----

Unfolds, a play only ever ---------.

 

----- demands that power be dispersed;

-------- life contained within nature’s moulds.

--- songs hold new vitality in thrall,

------- on it to drink earth and sky, map

------- territories facing down fate

------- for bud, leaf, tendril and flower.

 

1 Name Bram Stoker – organic wall (8)

2 Disturbed tee margin causes seed growth (9)

3 Extract sticky material (3)

4 Spherical party? (4)

5 Contains places where things are kept (5)

6 Practiced being put in funeral car again (9)

7 Force Batman noise, then hesitate (5)

8 Breaking out of ointment back pain (8)

9 Not young, in doldrums (3)

10 Shouting for vocation (7)

11 Trap too confusing, underground part of plant (7)

12 Anticipating working in restaurant (7)

 

Oh, and here's last month's solution...

SOLUTION TO CRYTIC POEM OO9 - GRAVITY

Long have I known and loved you, friend

And known our relation will someday end

With one left while the other walks into forever

Unless, by chance or choice, we walk off together

 

I know that even to wish such things

Is to dishonour life and all that life brings

But the cause is the thought that for even one day

My love will not be caught by you

And thus will float away

 

 

 

ps I'd be interested to see how quickly you can solve this month's and send it back to me...number 6 is one of my best ever clues, but quite easy....

 

The winning entry will be drawn at random from all of the correct entries received by the closing date