Welcome, ladies and gents, to Anyone Can Poem, the rodeo where …well, anyone can poem.
Last time we were in the saddle, I introduced the basics of haiku. We used its general syllable outline to jump in and have some fun.
Where will we ride from here?
To limericks.
A limerick (/ˈlɪmərɪk/) is a form of verse, usually humorous and frequently rude, in five-line, predominantly anapestic trimeter with a strict rhyme scheme of AABBA, in which the first, second and fifth line rhyme, while the third and fourth lines are shorter and share a different rhyme.
Wikipedia
I don’t know about you, pard’ner, but that was a whole chunk of intimidating text. -And limericks are not intimidating.
They’re fun. They’re edgy. They’re funny!
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, ‘It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!’
-Edward Lear
Like haiku, limericks follow a form. Myself, I find this form easy to write to once I pick up on the beat. Try reading Edward Lear’s (credited as being the master limerickist) contribution out loud. Still not hearing it? Here are a few more:
A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill holds more than his belican.
He can take in his beak,
Enough food for a week,
But I’m damned if I see how the helican.
-Dixon Lanier Merritt
Alas for the death of Hugh Hannity
Whose boat was capsized by a manatee.
When they saw it swim by,
All the townsfolk would cry:
“There he goes! Oh the beast! The Hugh manatee!”
-Graham Lester
Now do you hear it? Do you feel it? Anyone can poem a limerick, including me:
There once was a mother of four
Who never could sweep up her floor.
The clothes and the toys
Were stuck beneath boys.
Daddy wonders who taught them to swore.
–Chel Owens
- The pattern of AABBA and anapestic trimeter means that you start with two longer lines that rhyme. In the case of Lear’s poem, the rhymes are beard and feared.
- Next, you pick two shorter lines that rhyme with a different word. Again, with Lear’s, those words are Hen and Wren.
- Finally, you end with a zinger of the same length as the first two lines that also rhymes with them. Lear uses beard again -that cheater.
Whenever I set out to write a limerick, I first choose a subject. For today’s rodeo, let’s pick everyone’s favorite duty: cleaning up after animals. Not only will this subject fulfill the necessities of being somewhat inappropriate and humorous, it will provide many easy-to-rhyme words.
Some possible opening lines:
There once was a man named O’Coot.
There once was a grand rodeo.
I went to the show to just sit.
There! The most difficult part is over, especially since I picked some easy rhymers (except for rodeo). O’Coot can match up with poop scoop and boot and shoot! Sit, on the other hand, has at least one possibility amongst the thesaurus suggestions for animal excrement.
There’s no wrong subject or strict count for limericks if you’re worried. Many famous poets break the form left, right, and center. The main criteria is silliness and that recognizable rhyme pattern.
Send me a few samples through the form. Or, write one or a dozen up in the comments. You’ll love it and so will we!
Don’t overthink; just do it!
—–
An embarrassing mess was my brother
With one leg that was short. Not the other
Which made this eccentric
Walk in circles concentric
Causing constant distress to our mother
–Richmond Road
(From the A Mused Poetry Contest)
©2021 Chel Owens
I’ll write a nice limerick for you
With lines that are totally new
But I hope you don’t hate
If it isn’t so great
For this is the best I could do
😉
👏🏻 Very nice, Trent. 😀
Thanks, Chel 🙂
Hello Owen how are you doing hope you’re having a great time over there
It made me smile.
Thanks 🙂
I love your limerick, Chelsea. I do enjoy writing them sometimes too.
Thank you, Robbie! I would love to read more of yours. 🙂
Hello Robbie’s your comment I exciting I would love if we proceed on comment chat
Here’s one that was true to your suggested theme and another two that didn’t, because I’m like that as you know, Chel.
An elephant is a prodigious pooper
So you need a giant pooper scooper
But you don’t need a lot
For your vegetable plot
Just a soupcon is simply super.
Behold the Doc from Australia
He’ll fix anything that ails ya
With bandicoot stew
Or kangaroo glue
And bury you if he should fail ya.
There once was a lass from Tarcutta
Swear words she never would utter
Until a tiger snake bit her
Right on her sitter
And then ‘bloody hell’ she did mutter.
👏🏻 I’m surprised you didn’t go with less appropriate, Doug… 😀 This also shows that Australian locations make for excellent rhymes!
They do indeed. Here’s some prompts for those with an inappropriate turn of mind: Bong Bong, Dunedoo, Innaloo, Pimpinbudgie, Useless Loop, Koolyanobbing, Humpty Doo, and of course from my home State, Yorkeys Knob.
There is a song (using the word loosely) called Australiana by the wonderfully named Austin Tayshus which wreaks havoc with Australian place names.
Well worth a listen.
One of America’s most eccentric exports to Australia. ‘Australiana’ was the all time biggest selling single in Australia at the time. Fascinating man. Read more about him here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austen_Tayshus
Good stuff, Doug. See my comment to Chel here too, you might add something to it.
These are all fun. 🙂
Many thanks, Susan.
Wow! Wonderful. 🙂
Thanks, Kitty
Thought I’d do the easy one:
A one-legged dude at the rodeo
Said I can never be throwed, y’know
He hopped on a bronco
Things went badly wrong so
Old Nick’s prepared him a brand new abode below
Braveo, ceayreo. 🙂
Great! Very funny! It works as a rodeo song as well! 🎵
Thanks, Chel, but what is a rodeo song?
I imagine I meant a folk song, one to sing around the campfire on the cattle drive trail.
Anyone can write a limerick, she said
But I like to pen stories that pop into my head
Expand your mind
It’s fun you’ll find
To break out of your comfort zone instead.
Yes! Yes it does! (Although I’m still not keen on romance…)
Limericks and Sonnets (and some other’s are not my friends) – well anything with meter. I’ll pass this round and just enjoy the others. 😀
No way, Jules! 😥
Just to take away your frown… posting soon.
A ‘Dirty’ (not really, or really?) one at that!
Yesssss!
A-ha! Chel, a poem I can manage. I’ve had the sing-song pattern of limericks in my head since I was in fifth grade. I was going to write about my good friend D. who once lived on Nantucket, but then I decided oh…never mind she’s had enough shift to deal with the characters in her head who might be a-limerickin’. Namely a hand(full) named Kid.
Appropriately enough, I’m sitting under the grand canopy of the Poet Tree as I press tongue to cheek and give your challenge a whirl.
A writer once lived with a puppy named Mause,
Who chewed up socks and boots in the house,
Until her manuscript Mause ate,
Which sealed the pup’s fate,
And now the puppy lives overseas in Laos.
Thanks for the fun!
😀 Excellent, Charli. Our puppy chewed up the newly-laid piping in the backyard and two young fruit trees before we decided she’d be happier with a bigger yard. 😥
Mause is adorable. I’m looking forward to getting and keeping one with an upcoming move to a larger property!
Puppies are so destructive they could be used in warfare. Can you imagine dropping puppies by parachute behind enemy lines? First, they’d deceive (Oh, so cute!), and then they’d destroy (No, not the bulletproof vests!). They’d give up within days! Kidding aside, I understand the pain of giving up a destructive fur-monster-baby for better environment. I was howling yesterday because Mause pulled something precious off my desk and ripped it to shreds. Good luck with the move!
Parapups. 😀 I hope you’re able to replace what Mause ate!
Hello Charli am new here and am hoping you would welcome me here
Howdy, Louis! Welcome to Carrot Ranch, we are mighty pleased you showed up. Lots to do here. We have a weekly Saloon where anything can happen with Pal and Kid running the place. For certain, we have two poetry options at the Saloon, monthly. Every week we also have a 99-word story challenge. You can have the option to comment and get friendly with other writers, link your story in a blog post, and (or) submit to be published the following week in a collection. Thanks for stopping by!
You do seems pretty nice and interesting to me my dear and I will really love to know more about you, If you don’t mind?
[…] Carrot Ranch Anyone Can Poem 4 My sad attempt at a Limerick because I didn’t want to disappoint Chel. […]
OK just for Chel…
I had to turn her frown upside down…
A Dirty Limerick?
Who’d a believed there’s no hope
Where’s the twine that held soap
The miner full of coal dust
Thought life was unjust
T’weren’t no bar hangin’ on no rope
© JP/dh
😀 😀 I hope he finds his soap! 😀
[…] It’s fun to be silly. This was written for Carrot Ranch Literary Community’s Anyone Can Poem limerick challenge. […]
There once was a carnival ducky,
Who wasn’t so terribly lucky,
Each night, as he swum,
He was shot in the bum,
But my, that ducky was plucky!
😀 Hilarious!
I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
I didn;t see this till now But here’s mine
Young Chel, Well she taugh me to Poem
So I started out only to Show Em
They cause laughter in me
But my kids don’t agree
They Charge for bad jokes, Now I owe Em’
😀 I completely disagree! Your kids need to pay *you*!
Apparently The distress of hearing bad jokes is a chargeable thing
They just don’t appreciate good humor.
They love good Humor, But only the Ice Cream kind
Very clever. Well done. 🙂
Thanks
[…] Chelesa Owens for hosting the Limerick challenge at Carrot Ranch Community. For rules please refer here. Thank you all for stopping by and […]
Thanks for the challenge, here’s my limerick :-
There was a click clock cluttering hen,
Who was always outside her cosy little pen,
Neighbour’s barn she went to poop,
And ended up in his soup,
Poor dead click clock cluttering hen, teary eyed sturdy men.
This is a very deep, rhythmical limerick.
Hi Chel,
I wasn’t sure if I could do limericks, but your suggestion to think of a topic worked!
I love to read sea stories and historical fiction… and a picture came to mind … so here it is!
Great sails unfurled, what a sight to see!
The clipper “Fanny” rides the waves at sea.
Sailor’s seat hangs high
Heave, ho, poop and sigh.
Alas, no rum, no brandy, only lime, and tea.
Thanks for the fun!
Saifun
😀 I’m so glad you tried one! You’ve got a knack for it; keep writing them!
All that chat about Australia — thought of a long-ago Australian novel, “A Town Like Alice” and …
Alice plunged into the Looking Glass
Through Andromeda’s Great Worm Hole Pass
She crashed into Alice Springs
A blaze of fiery rings
Her spaceship a melting coffin of brass.
Reading can leave all kinds of footprints in the mind! 😀
Saifun
👏🏻 Excellent
thank you! I like the way you talk about writing poetry – I think that’s key for me!
Thanks!
I basically rediscovered limericks this year, and fell in love with them after reading the limericks that one poet had written. He had broadened the way that I viewed them and how narrow I had assumed their subject matter had to be.
These are 3 limericks that I wrote this year and shared on my blog:
Growing Through the Cracks
A dandelion seed saw some cracked cement
that was causing the townsfolk torment
a good little rebel
it looked and said, “Well,
this is where I’ll build my new apartment.”
Mushroom House
It is well known that gnomes
love to live in garden homes
cozy and warm
full of charm
carved out of mushroom domes
Nature’s Playground
When we are children we love to play
We stay outside for most of the day
Fingers in dirt
Now it’s on my shirt
Time to search near the river for clay
I’m happy you discovered them. These are excellent limericks!
Thanks Chel 🙂
Almost forgot about this one! (I still need to think of a title for it)
An owl sits in the branches of a tree
looking to see what he will see
eyes are alert
scanning the dirt
There! That’s going to be dinner for me!
Hmmm… “Dinner Deliberations”?
I like the alliteration. Could be it.
Hello Nicole I come in peace lol and am new here hoping you will welcome
Hi Chel, Here is mine:
I saw a butterfly named Dean,
fluttering amongst leaves light-green,
perched on a mimosa’s stem,
caressing her delicate hem,
until he was lost inside her yellow sheen.
🦋 Nature’s limerick. I love it!
Thank you:)
THE REAL SCOOP
one day when I walked out the door
I hollered and then I sure swore
I’d slipped on some poop
that was left on the stoop—
my brother he laughed and yelled SCORE!
(do you want an actual post?)
😀 No, Ruth, this’ll do fine. 😀
was it funny enough?
I don’t think you need to ask that. 😀
😁
[…] I’ll write now and then, visit everybody, wrap up the current A Mused Poetry Contest; then take off around June 27th. I’ll not disappear entirely because I am writing a monthly poetry post over at Carrot Ranch called Anyone Can Poem. […]
Great stuff
Thanks! Try a limerick. 🙂
It’s my pleasure. And, definitely I’ll try it for sure
https://wordpress.com/post/hobbospoems.com/8819
Poop Scooping
Her favourite dog, a Great Dane,
Passed parcels the size of a train,
At a loss, what to do
With this mountain of poo,
It was baked, bleached and sold as cocaine!
I sent you this yesterday Chel, but you know me and I.T!
Excellent as usual, Hobbo! There’s no such thing as late on Anyone Can Poem! 🙂
Thanks Chel. 🙂