As I contemplated my article today, I was thinking how it was the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. I always hate to see autumn go. I thought about fall and what it has meant to me. It always meant a fair – fairs of all sorts and while one word is not the usual prompt for Meeting The Bar, I thought this one was provocative. Fair has many meanings, is a great rhyme word, and seemed to encapsulate so much of the season for me. As I examined it with all its meanings, I thought it would make a great prompt.
These are the dictionary meanings From The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language:
I. FAIR
- Of pleasant appearance because of a fresh appearance; comely.
- Light in color, especially blond.
- Light complexion: fair skin.
- Free of blemish or stain.
- Free of clouds or storms, sunny.
- Promising, likely. We’re in a fair way to succeed.
- Having a disposition free of favoritism or bias, impartial: a fair moderator
- Just to all parties, equitable.
- Being in accordance with relative merit or significance. She wanted her fair share.
- Consistent with rules, logic, or ethics: a fair tactic.
- Moderately good, mildly satisfying: a fair rendering of the sonata.
- Superficially true or appealing; specious. Don’t trust his fair promises.
- Lawful to hunt or attack: Fair game.
There are also several archaic usages I won’t quote here.
II. FAIR – (and this is the meaning that set me on the subject)
- Gathering held at a specified time and place for the buying and selling of goods, a market. It could be a Renaissance Fair.An exhibition as of farm products or manufactured goods, usually accompanied by various competitions and entertainments: a county or state fair.
- An exhibition intended to inform people about a product or business opportunity, a job fair, a computer fair.
- An event usually for the benefit of a charity or public institution including entertainment and the sale of goods: a bazaar; a church fair.
- All of the above with pavilions to show cultural, social, business, inventions, new products, etc. such as a World Fair.
III. And if that were not enough you can even choose FARE (the homophone).
- a: range of food :
- b: material provided for use, consumption, or enjoyment
- the price charged to transport a person.
- a paying passenger on a public conveyance
Take the one minimal word and write potentially to the maximum!
I think it’s a fair topic to spur better than fair poetry; let’s be fair and put some wheels on it, paint it with camouflage, milk cows, peace signs or daisies and drive it to the fair!
Let’s contemplate the disappointment of society, the inspiration of mediocrity, the outcry of political fairness. It’s all up to you as we end this season of brilliance and anticipate the lights of winter.
- Link the poem on your blog by copying its name from your address line.
- Click on Mr. Linky which will open a Blenza page; fill in your name and
paste the link to your poem. - Read and comment on your fellow poets’ poems.
- Join the poets in the pub by clicking on the Comments on this page.
Welcome to the pub today – we’re talking about fairs, being fair, fairness, the heavy fare, fair beauties, the injustice of preferring fair. Today is a fair day but the weather has turned cool. The nuts are falling, but the leaves have yet to turn. It’s been strange weather this year here in Texas. The state fair has ended and Oklahoma beat Texas University in the traditional football mash-up. The election is over and the congress is solidified against the executive branch – so two more years of gridlock here in the U.S. Most people are thinking holidays as our Thanksgiving is on the horizon. So join in poetry with our fellow poets today. There’s pumpkin lattes as well as the usual beverages today so step right up!
I think this works wonders.. very early in my poetry career.. I struggled with a sestina.. and one of my endwords was fair.. and yes it’s very good word..I tried to work my way through a few meanings of the word.
And you did it so well!
pumpkin latte sounds wonderful….smiles
egg nog latte is better….just saying…smiles.
What is a latte, please? It sounds like a milkshake, but I’d thought it had something todo with coffee………………..
It is a coffee kind of cappucino drink. This time of year coffee shops add pumpkin spices to it. They’re really good even if you don’t like pumpkin pie…and a little addictive!
good evening everyone…
very cool prompt gay…. i learned so many different meanings of fair in the last few hours that i felt like in language school… smiles
i wrote about our traditional basel autumn fair over here – always try to visit at least once for a ride on the ferris wheel..
It seems like everyone has fairs but us.. how fair is that?
fairly unfair….
Ahhh…they’re so cool…with little petting stalls with baby animals, and dog catching frisbee competitions, and quilt exhibits, and rodeos, and fried everything from candy bars to ice cream, and rigged midway games, and freak shows, and in my youth girly shows with girls “of many colors from many lands”. They sold batons covered in glitter which every little girl wanted and maybe the guys too for all I know – we all learned to “twirl” with them. Oh fairs make up tons of memories especially in small town America and even now – Disneyworld is just a ginormous fair after all!
I had a fair amount of fun writing a limerick featuring both “fair” and “fare.” After all, it would be very unfair to leave one of the two out. And I do try to be “fair and balanced” about these things. 🙂
fair and balanced…that’s the way we want it..ha.. smiles
cool piece madeleine
LOL! And thanks!
Ah.. I had to give you a limerick back.. it’s been a while since I tried my hands on them…
LOL! And a welcome limerick it was! I must try to lure you back to my Limerick-Offs. 🙂
We’ll see.. Limericks was one of the first forms I ever tried.. but I still find them extremely tricky..
And you drove me to limerick you back my own self; just too much good stuff out there at the dVerse Fair today.
fair…so many definitions….I had a bit of fun weaving a few into mine…and I played in on grace’s prompt as well….
And your poem was blue-ribbon wonderful Brian!
I think the dead man is gonna stay with us for a while.
Just not fair, Gay, for you to be mired in doubt, even for a second, about your inspired choice of prompt. Taking Brian’s lead, I did mind as a deadman dialogue, & it dipped in & out of past & present with ease. Somehow you allowed me to write yet another deadman poem, & still keep the response in the fairway.
fair-way….hahaha nice…
Thanks Glenn! I needed that. Great job you guys – you outdid yourselves with the prompt! Sometimes the simplest ones are the best!!
alright…heading home…I have a fair number of miles to drive though it is a fair eve in which to do it….check back in a bit…and will read my fair share….smiles.
I couldn’t resist, as one fair song I know–we all know–juxtaposes love and war as in “All is fair in love and war.” I don’t think so. But maybe fair means will never reach the just end? Thanks for the fun, Gay.
i almost played off that line…love and war….fair and just…ha, i think that they are contrasts as well…
My contribution is strictly for fun, no metaphors or great form, but there would be many to use on this word…I will enjoy reading…fare thee well…
Kathy, looking forward to it. This has been fun, fine, and edifying.
Better late than never! I will be making visits tomorrow…especially to those who return visits. Have a good evening, poets.
i hear that…got a few non readers on the list already…i will wait and return visits to if they do…
Really good prompt Gay. I submitted something so simple but really your prompt could go so many places.
this looks like quite an affair 🙂
oh the puns continue…
sheepish grin …..
hey far be it from me to judge, i am fair and impartial…
haha..me too!
a cool prompt & umm..i couldn’t leave my dead man too…i’ll flit around the blooms asa i return from school…
nice…i have had a blast playing with the deadman as well…
good morning… links have doubled while i slept…been playing catch up and off to work now… haveagreatdayall!!
This was fun- Thanks, Gay.
Great, imaginative, novel, and thought-provoking poem for this prompt. Kudos to all of you! And thanks!
Won a first place once at the Wainfleet Fall Fair once for a really badly drawn picture of a cow, and that was the memory you and this prompt pulled out of my brain for me. Thanks for that.
Ah.. i loved the prompt so I had to deliver yet one… this one more a little grim fun.
made it back and read everyone so far… great entries… and thanks to those that take the time to visit and comment on your fellow poets poems as well…that is much appreciated….
by the way… one of my fav poems about food is this one…by Poet Laureate Ted Kooser
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2013/12/03