Happy April Fool’s Day! In that vein I’d like to start National Poetry Month with some fun. My dear friend Saintvi reminded me that in years past I issued a National Poetry Month writing challenge. She indicated that she would play along if I were to throw down the gauntlet. So here it is:
1. Write a limerick.
2. Write a poem about the changing seasons
3. Write a poem about angels (any kind).
4. Write a concrete poem.
5. Write a poem about signs of spring.
6. Write a poem about dogs.
7. Write a Quatern.
8. Write 4 haiku about favorite foods.
9. Write an acrostic poem using an emotion.
10. Write a Blitz poem.
11. Channel your inner Doctor (Seuss, Who, Frankenstein, Doolittle, Zhivago, McCoy… your choice)
12. Write a list poem about clothes
13. Write a poem using the words: crow, sparrow, snow, chapeau, below, ginkgo, shallow, and solo.
The rules are simple. Write 13 poems in 30 days (that comes out to a poem each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the month of April). Once written you merely post on your blog and then comment to let me know you have one up. I’m not going to get all fancy and have you send me links or write a separate post with all the participants listed and linked. This is for fun and to stretch your poetical muscles. Who knows you just might enjoy it… You can write them in any order but I’m going to do them as listed.
Who doesn’t enjoy a limerick? But what exactly is a limerick (other than annoying and tedious to write – IMHO)? The limerick falls into the broad category of Cinquain poems. Cinquains are any stanza or short poem of 5 lines. This category includes the Sicilian Cinquain, English Cinquain, Quintella (a Spanish form), Crapsey Cinquain, Didactic Cinquain and last but not least, the Limerick. The limerick is 5 lines (of course) with the 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines rhyming and having 3 stressed syllables and the 3rd and 4th lines rhyming with 2 stressed syllables. The limerick is historically somewhat, um, coarse. They tend to humorous in a ribald sort of way or often poke fun at human foibles. I love a good syllabic poem and rhymes are my jam but I loath having to figure out meter and to count stressed syllables. That said I can write them and have (but I didn’t enjoy it). Here’s some for your reading pleasure – I hope you enjoy reading them more than I did writing!
I want a ribbon to wear
Proud of the gray in my hair
I earned every strand
My color’s not canned
They’re jealous and that’s why they stare
Parents in kindness name
Causing anger and pleasure the same
When to the world you are Art
But your peers call you Fart
And you are the butt of their game
The dog days of summer arrive
Panting we try to survive
It only gets hotter
With cool drinks of water
Our flagging spirits revive
Well. That’s fun! I like your limericks very much. I’m not a huge fan of limericks either. I AM a huge fan of your NPM challenge. Thanks for laying down the gauntlet.
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Are you going to accept the challenge (or at least a couple of them)? I tried to make them broad enough to allow some creative wiggle room. I’d love to read what you create!!
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lovely start to the writing challenge! i enjoy limericks but cant write one, yours was brilliant!
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I hope you will join the party and give at least a couple of these a try! Your blog confirms that you are creative so I know you have the talent… I’d love to read how you interpret these poetry prompts!
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thank you for your kind and generous words, I will try some of them!
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Yay! I can’t wait!!
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Nice limericks, I loved the gray hair one. I love the variety of your list, may try it. 🙂
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I can’t wait to see what you post~~ Please join the fun!
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First response to poetry month challenge posted at https://justjoan42.wordpress.com
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For some reason, I’ve always found limericks easy to write… I sometimes even do it accidentally when I’m trying to compose a poem! I shall do a little pondering and see what happens. Stay tuned.
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Hehe! I have trouble with limericks but can breathe a haiku! I’m sure you will come up with something entertaining. I will be tuned in and anxiously waiting your take on these prompts!!
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Wonderful limericks! And good selection of challenges. However I have a great deal of trouble fulfilling challenges. peace to you
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Even if you don’t play, please come visit!
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I’ll try! 😁
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You made me smile! Thanks!
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Very good! I was once a substitute teacher in a third grade class that was studying limericks, and I was so impressed when several of the students were able to write their own. They may not have been a super high quality, but still….I was in awe!
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Thanks! The limerick was one of those poems we all had to learn about (and try our hand at). I struggle with it!!
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You give me envy to try but my English is awfully poor as you l,ow, Val .
Love ❤
Michel
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Your English is far far better than my French! Why not write in French? Poetry is poetry!
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I LOVE limericks! On a camping trip where I provided the meals, I demanded payment for dessert in limericks. After a shared bottle of wine, the results were side-splitting if not totally fit for prime-time.
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I suppose there are some folks that really like them and have a flair for thinking them up. I’m guessing your circle around the campfire tapped into the bawdier aspects…. I wish you had recorded them and could share.
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Great way to start the challenge. Limericks are fun.
I’m not a writer..esp. of poetry but I enjoy reading what others write. 😉
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I think we all have an inner poet. You just haven’t let her out to experiment… But if you are more comfortable just reading – well, read on!!
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Excellent! Thanks for playing. I hope some of your readers join the fun too… The more the merrier.
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There was a good lady named Val,
who always well-treated her pals.
When one summer’s day,
the heat came her way,
she cried:
“Fire up the grill,
I shall.”
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Wow! Thanks for the personalized limerick!! You made it look easy! I’m hoping that I can grill the first week of May… Then again it may not happen until June.
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Prompt 13
https://wordpress.com/post/joyouswind.wordpress.com/117
Prompt 1
https://wordpress.com/post/joyouswind.wordpress.com/119
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Yay! I’m so glad you are joining the fun!!
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