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Spring Cleaning
I decline to play,
I shall not engage this way.
Though shots are whirled
In frantic haste,
And insults hurled,
Against my waist.
Call down curses
On my head,
Carping verses
Wish me dead.
I decline to play,
I shall not engage this way.
Why not write of
Summer days
And not blight of
Vengeful ways
Open window,
Widened eye,
Good for now,
And worth a try.
I decline to play,
I shall not engage this way.
Have a go
And turn aside,
Join a flow
From deeper tide
Whatever now
That can be done
Chase the Dao
With brighter sun.
I decline to play,
I shall not engage this way.
I shall not engage this way.
Though shots are whirled
In frantic haste,
And insults hurled,
Against my waist.
Call down curses
On my head,
Carping verses
Wish me dead.
I decline to play,
I shall not engage this way.
Why not write of
Summer days
And not blight of
Vengeful ways
Open window,
Widened eye,
Good for now,
And worth a try.
I decline to play,
I shall not engage this way.
Have a go
And turn aside,
Join a flow
From deeper tide
Whatever now
That can be done
Chase the Dao
With brighter sun.
I decline to play,
I shall not engage this way.
I feel like the meaning is vague here, but that may be more on me. I think the narrator wants to lose weight to feel better about himself, but he wants to make sure he's really doing it for himself instead of to silence his critics. The repeated stanza provided good structural unity, though I would have liked to see it used in more concrete and creative ways. One was him playing a mental game with those insulting him, one may have been a mental game against his own internal voice, and I think one may refer to actually getting outside and playing games, i.e., getting some exercise. The rhythm is mostly regular, and the rhymes are all clean.
It's going to be hard to rank these.
It's going to be hard to rank these.