21. Limerick

I’ve been dying to write a limerick on the blog for ages. It’s one of my favorite poetic forms. It’s concise, fun, and if done correctly, acidic.

A limerick has five lines in the pattern: AABBA. A-lines commonly have eight syllables, while B-lines have five. The theme may revolve around human folly. It may be darkly humorous or just plain silly.

The Man Who Stood Tall

There was once a man who stood tall—
Unrivaled, and envied by all.
He lost his true love,
Bereft from above;
Now yearning to somehow recall.

Or a more humorous example:

Bishop Rude

There once was a bishop so rude;
Thought all homosexuals were lewd.
He went down to church
And there on his perch
Was a magazine of men, nude.