The poet’s foreword says he began all this on one fine day. It must have been finer than morning in an adjacent state by the looks of the result. What a sweep! What a breadth! What a memory! Who’s left out here? Nobody I know. Virginia is 475 miles long but averages half that, which means here we have about one page per mile of her right across. He cautions that a reading voice with the proper pronunciation of Hanover and Henrico is advisable.

THE POLECAT PRIZE

RAN OFF ALL OTHERS

Some versifier came and sowed

many a thunderation ode.

This got the Golden Polecat Prize,

the one that draws the market flies,

awarding a chief excellence

that chases all the others hence;

puts to shame and in the shade

the Armadillo Accolade,

and that eternal charnel foist

so-called the yearly critics’ choist.

It strands our thunderation moot

what’s really worth a second hoot.

For some ‘twill always be roast beef,

but, after that, Virginia leaf.