With Yeats2015 almost dead and gone, Kevin McAleer, stand-up comic, raconteur, gentleman farmer and part-time Yeats scholar, casts a cold eye on Lissadell and tries to improve on WB’s original lines from In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz. Care to have a go yourself in the Comments section? Two silk kimonos and a gazelle* for the best entry received by January 1st, to be chosen by Kevin and Fintan O’Toole, Literary Editor of The Irish Times. Fintan has had a go below too but is ineligible for the prize as a staff employee who already has more than enough kimonos and gazelles. #ImproveOnYeats

Yeats’s original

The light of evening, Lissadell,
Great windows open to the south,
Two girls in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one a gazelle.

Kevin McAleer #1

The light of evening, Lissadell,
Great windows open to the south,
Two girls in silk kimonos, both
Beautiful, one a cow.

Kevin McAleer #2

The light of evening, Lapland,
Great windows open to the north
Pole. Two guys in Santa gear, both
Fat, one a reindeer.

Kevin McAleer #3

The light of evening, Leinster House,
Great windows open to the west,
Two guys in silk ties, both
Pitful, one a mouse.

Kevin McAleer #4

The light of evening, Ballymun,
Great tower blocks open to the north,
Two guys in stolen cars, both
Beautiful, one a Mondeo.

Kevin McAleer #5

The light of evening, Lissadell,
Great windows open to the south,
Both beautiful, one double-glazed.

Fintan O’Toole #1

The light of evening on the law library
Great windows open to the south
Two SCs in pinstriped suits, both
Smug and rich, one very.

Fintan O’Toole #2

The light of evening on the A&E
Great spaces almost overrun
Two hundred patients on chairs, one
Lucky sod has got the trolley.

Fintan O’Toole #3

The light of evening on the bank
Great windows open to the west
Two bonus cheques, both
Generous, one left blank.

Fintan O’Toole #4

The light of evening on the county
Councillor. Hope you brought the dosh.
Two hands adorned with rings, both
Nakedly greedy, one the full monty.

* Update: We are fresh out of kimonos and gazelles. The winner will receive a selection of the finest books available to humanity instead. Add you entry to the comments section below and also email bookclub@irishtimes.com