Pothole Poetry Contest

As many readers know, The Herald does not make a regular practice of publishing poetry. It takes an alarming event to shake us from our course, but this year just such an event has taken place—the unprecedented explosion of potholes.

Mind you, it’s nothing you can blame your road crews for. All across Vermont, potholes are on everybody’s mind. On Monday, two distinguished citizens measured one Main Street pothole at three feet square and nine inches deep. WCAX-TV showed a collection of pothole-dislodged hubcaps from city streets. The Times-Argus collected pothole stories from readers. And The Herald of Randolph is sponsoring a Pothole Poetry Contest. We were considering a Pothole Photo Contest, but we discovered there’s nothing more boring than a picture of a pothole. So poetry it is.

Any type of poem is eligible—OK, no epic poems. Keep them to 30 lines at the very most. Limericks would be good, haiku, rhyming poems, or blank verse. Easy poems, difficult poems. Please get them to The Herald offices by the end of the day Tuesday, April 1. That’s April Fool’s Day. Mail them to P.O. Box 309, Randolph; or email them to editor@OurHerald.com.

The Herald staff will pick some of their favorites for publication. Then a drawing will determine the Grand Prize Winner, who will receive a sweet half-gallon of 2008 maple syrup.

Oh yes, one more rule—NO SWEARS! Considering the topic, that may be a difficult rule to observe, but do your best!

—The Editors