h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: On the Beach by Night - A50588346
Author: B'Elana [©] ACE- Minister of Abbr. lil is back, yay! - U230913

A little something inspired by the latest Stretcher Challenge, dmitri's story, and mvp's journal.

Though not sophisticated content-wise, I did my best with the style.

and - Thank you so much. Very gratifying to have been a humble part of the genesis of that story and poem.

One suggestion: If your story dovetails with my tall tale, your narrator should not be in Guadeloupe, since I was in Madagascar (different ocean).

The capital of Madagascar is Antananarivo.

(Or were you trying to make me out a liar? Which is okay, too.)

Definitely buying this lady's drinks...

Definitely Madagascar then. I didn't think of that. I was struggling with the words too much. :-d

I'll change it.

It's a sestina. Congratulations!

I thought no-one would be masochistic enough to try. You've done very well, too, grasping what it took me a while to work out, that the sestina form lends itself to the telling of tall tales.

Oh dear, you're all talking poetry...

Just thought I'd drop in to say nice to have you along for this round, Bel, and I enjoyed the poem (or 'retsina' or 'cistern' or whatever it's called )

Thanks, mvp, that's high praise indeed.
I'm impressed that you recognised the sestina, I'm not sure I would have done.

Thank you, Danny. You just reminded me that I haven't had any Retsina for years (haven't seen any cistern recently, either).

Retsina with mineral water...on Samothrake...with roast kid...definitely.

And somebody reciting a sestina...

This was really good! I am , as I couldn't put a sentence in German without 5 mistakes and here you are giving us a beautiful poem in a very elaborate form in English. I can't even manage doggeral in English let alone poetry. I think it is that you can accomplish this.

Oooh, thank you.

You can't compare my writing of English with your German, though. After all, I've been here on h2g2 for nearly six years now, conversing in English every day. I bet you don't get a chance to talk or write in German where you live.

Well D is a Germanist, but he'll tell you that I make little enough sense in English so don't bother in German. So no I seldom have the opportunity to practice and German is one of those languages that you really need to use daily if you want to keep it.

Yes, German isn't the easiest language you can learn. Not the most difficult language, either, though.

That's impressive. I had to look it up. Never heard of a sestina before. The idea of it must have been dreamed up as a punishment

Really well done Bel

'Johnny, you will write a sestina about why you should not talk in class. You will stay after school until it's finished.'

Thank you, Tibley.

I'm delighted with all the nice comments.

Is Johnny still in school, and how old is he now, dmitri?

He's 30. They'll let him go to 9th grade if he attends summer school.

Poor Johnny. That's a drastic punishment for talking in class.