Friday, September 12, 2014

Acrostic Limericks

A lady whose name was McCord
Once over this limerick pored
To find the evil design
Hidden in the last line
But alas, she could not see the
~author unknown (a limerick, but not an acrostic)


This week, O.V. Michaelsen got me thinking about limericks that are also acrostics when he sent me this:

ABYSS
by O.V. Michaelsen

Avoiding the void is a must,
But stillness attracts too much dust.
Your home isn’t ANYwhere.
Some will find MANY there,
Strayed, though a few will adjust.

I hadn't heard of acrostic limericks before, but I couldn't help wanting to give them a try. To get started, you just need to think of five-letter words. Hmm, what should mine be?


Perhaps you need a friendly welcome,
Unbridled joy, a tail never glum?
Please consider this --
Pooches love to kiss!
You'll never lack a belly to rub.

One more, but this time not based on something close to home. I wish I had time to make an illustration of Malcolm the Moody Monster:

Malcolm the monster is irked
Over people who claim he's a jerk --
Oh, there are cars he crushes
Down to silvery mushes...
You could say that it's just a quirk.

**********

Madeleine Begun Kane has written quite a few acrostic limericks. For instance, this musical one:

Oh the sound of this instrument’s glorious,
But playing it’s rather laborious.
Out a thin double reed...

Read the rest here (and more acrostic limericks here).

**********

No Water River has the Poetry Friday round-up today.

15 comments:

Author Amok said...

This is a really fun form, Tabatha. I may have to post a new limerick challenge to Facebook. Michelle Barnes and I haven't done a challenge in a while. I'm inspired!

Carol Varsalona said...

Tabatha, i enjoyed your light-hearted fare for today. I never knew that acrostic limericks existed.

Carol Varsalona said...

Tabatha, i enjoyed your light-hearted fare for today. I never knew that acrostic limericks existed.

Jeanne said...

I love the one that reads "moody" down, because the limerick illustrates but does not refer to it. That one really opens up my imagination to the possibilities for really dirty acrostic limericks.

jama said...

These are fun. Hadn't heard of acrostic limericks before.

Robyn Hood Black said...

Ha! Too fun. I would either need more sleep to attempt, or maybe a beer... ;0) ?!

Diane Mayr said...

Funny you should say that, Robyn, guess what I just poured for a Friday evening at home? However, rhyme is not my forte, so I may pass on writing while inbeeriated.

Thanks for introducing the form, Tabatha.

Linda B said...

They are fun, & when I wrote a limerick for Limerick Alley, I found they were really hard to write! You've started well, Tabatha. Great to see the others, too, even in the comments!

Donna Smith said...

Perchance there are poems that rhyme
Or poems with wording sublime
Eventually
Most poets will see
Such writing takes most of their time!

I had to try it!

Mary Lee said...

Well played, Donna! Thanks for sharing a fun double form, Tabatha!

Tabatha said...

Nicely done, Donna!

Susan Taylor Brown said...

I find limericks really hard to write but then I don't do light verse very well. :) These were fun.

Becky Shillington said...

I'd never heard of acrostic limericks before, Tabatha! These are great!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

Oooh, you're speaking my language here! Can't wait to give this a try. :)

Madeleine Begun Kane said...

Fun post! And thanks for linking my acrostic limericks!

I hope it's okay to mention that I run a weekly limerick contest (non-acrostic), and everyone's invited to participate.

You can always find my latest Limerick-Off challenge here.