The Local Village Flower Arranging Competition Poem by Paula Glynn

Every year the council of the local village
Would run a flower arranging competition
Every housewife in the village would compete
All hoping to win a whopping £100
And a marmalade, jam, chutney and wine hamper.

One year a newbe decided to compete
She had moved to the Cotswolds village
One month before and wanted new friends
Her thatchroof cottage empty without friends
Her favourite pastime painting canvases.

She would wave hello to her frosty neighbours
Hoping after some time passed
That they would warm to her and be nice
But someone in the village didn't want her around
However she had to bite her tongue.

She had moved from Sussex to the Cotswolds
As she had recently gotten a necessary divorce
Her husband a lying cheat that deserved what he got
Vivienne now making her nostalgic Cotswolds
Lifelong dream a reality with her divorce settlement.

The rival seeing Vivienne as a threat
With her gorgeous looks and fun personality
But Vivienne was tough and could handle herself
Knowing her own worth and having boundaries
Not letting the village rival get under her skin.

Vivienne a talented and disciplined painter
Having studied at art school thirty years ago
Loving creating masterpieces onto canvas
From scenic watercolours to vibrant acrylic flowers
Painting party people, pristine places and the suchlike.

So when the local flower arranging competition
Rolled around, every worthwhile housewife
Wanted to win and receive much needed credit
For their creativity and upmost importance
The boastful winning trophy also appealing.

But that year the judge wandered along
Analysing every vase of flowers
Some vases were unfortunately poorly arranged
With no colour cohesiveness or brilliant design
With just no artistic talent or imagination.

But the newcomer had a vase that popped:
Its colours of fuchsia, reds, oranges, yellows
Were combined to an explosion of artistic colour
Almost as if the genius Vincent Van Gough
Had painted the flowers onto canvas.

Needless to say the village read all about it
In the local newspaper the next day
And Vivienne the newcomer made friends instantly
Her rivals bitter that she was a winner but not getting to her
The marmalade, jams, chutney and wine also coming in useful.