International Limericks 10

© Can Stock Photo & damedeeso used with permission

 

Limerick, a popular form of short, humorous verse that is often nonsensical and frequently ribald. It consists of five lines, rhyming aabba, and the dominant metre is anapestic, with two metrical feet in the third and fourth lines and three feet in the others. Encyclopaedia Britannica

There are currently one hundred and ninety-three states that are recognised members of the United Nations, using the official list available on-line on 5th July, 2021.

As an exercise in internationalism and, perhaps, mental masochism I shall attempt to produce, in strict alphabetic sequence, a limerick based on the name of each member-state (using the short name as commonly used in UK English). Each Wednesday will see between one and seven such limericks, until I have addressed them all. The addition or removal of countries or changes of name during the course of this exercise will not be reflected.

Let me know what you think.

 

CZECH REPUBLIC

Czech Republic is one of those lands
Where power has often changed hands.
Between me and you, 
That may not be true,
But it’s what this old fool understands.

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA

I don’t care what some people say,
We are all without power today.
But if you ask me
I’d rather not be
In the land known as DPRK.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

In the heartlands of the DRC
Was a sight I thought never could be.
A brace of giraffe
Were having a laugh; 
But that’s not what it looked like to me.

DENMARK

I lived in a hamlet so dark
That kids wouldn’t play in the park.
A woman called Mary
Said it was so scary;
She felt like the prince of Denmark

DJIBOUTI

I heard that the Greek guy Narcissus
Befriended the Afars and Issas.
I thought it my duty
To go to Djibouti
To establish the truth of what this is.

DOMINICA

‘Twas cold, and I’m a heat-seeker,
So we took a trip to Dominica
We thought it was nice
Almost Paradise
And as warm as a well-smoked paprika.

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Anyone care to join in?

Limericks from prompts 10

© Can Stock Photo& damedeeso. Used with permission

Limerick, a popular form of short, humorous verse that is often nonsensical and frequently ribald. It consists of five lines, rhyming aabba, and the dominant metre is anapestic, with two metrical feet in the third and fourth lines and three feet in the others. Encyclopaedia Britannica

Starting this week, a series of limericks produced in response to various prompts. I have combined the two strands to make room for a new series starting next Wednesday. 

These will appear on Saturday mornings wherever possible.

Many examples of acrostic poems can be found scattered around the web (where the first letter of each line spells out a word when read from top to bottom), but I have found very few examples of acrostic Limericks.

Where any prompt contains five letters (or ten, fifteen or… let’s not get ahead of ourselves, eh?), I shall attempt an acrostic limerick based on that word.

Let me know what you think.

No prompts this week, so five random words from https://www.randomlists.com/random-words

POLITICAL

I’ve often been told I’m too critical
Regarding the classes political.
When one of them tries
To speak without lies,
Perhaps I’ll be more analytical.

CRAYON

My youngest just picked up a crayon
And drew me a hassock to pray on
I said, “Your poor father
Would very much rather
You draw something soft he can lay on.”

PATHETIC

My nature is truly magnetic,
My physical prowess athletic.
A word to the wise,
I sometimes tell lies;
My grasp of the truth is pathetic.

GLAMOROUS

If you’d like a lifestyle that’s glamorous,
Locked into a liaison amorous,
One thing you can do
And this much is true:
Steer clear of the urge to be clamorous.

FLAT

My friends in the justice department,
Moved into a swanky apartment.
I called it a flat.
They said, “It’s not that;
There’s even a dressing compartment.”

LAZY

A left-leaning woman called Maisie
Suggested that rich folk were lazy.
I couldn’t recall
If she said some or all;
My mem’ry of that is quite hazy.

LAMENTABLE

My landlord agreed it’s lamentable;
My town-centre flat is so rentable.
The rent I can’t meet
So it’s out on the street.
Eviction just isn’t preventable.

International Limericks 9

© Can Stock Photo & damedeeso used with permission

 

Limerick, a popular form of short, humorous verse that is often nonsensical and frequently ribald. It consists of five lines, rhyming aabba, and the dominant metre is anapestic, with two metrical feet in the third and fourth lines and three feet in the others. Encyclopaedia Britannica

There are currently one hundred and ninety-three states that are recognised members of the United Nations, using the official list available on-line on 5th July, 2021.

As an exercise in internationalism and, perhaps, mental masochism I shall attempt to produce, in strict alphabetic sequence, a limerick based on the name of each member-state (using the short name as commonly used in UK English). Each Wednesday will see between one and seven such limericks, until I have addressed them all. The addition or removal of countries or changes of name during the course of this exercise will not be reflected.

Where the name of a member-state contains five letters (or ten, fifteen or… let’s not get ahead of ourselves, eh?), I shall attempt an acrostic limerick based on that name.

Let me know what you think.

 

COSTA RICA

For many years I was dejected;
My culinary skills I’d neglected.
I tasted paprika 
In old Costa Rica,
My seasoning then was corrected!

COTE D’IVOIRE

On holiday in Côte d’Ivoire,
I wandered into a bazaar
They sold me a mynah
Imported from China
That only spoke ancient Magyar!

CROATIA

I bought an old car from my chum
He said it belonged to his mum
It had on the facia
A map of Croatia 
Which is just what I need around Brum!

CUBA

You just know, when I write about Cuba
My first rhyme of choice will be tuba.
Though I’m not a diver
I’ll bet you a fiver
I can squeeze in the acronym SCUBA

CYPRUS

I read the myth of Galatea
So I took a trip to Nicosia
Cyprus is hot
In a way that was not
Made plainly, abundantly clear.

 

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Anyone care to join in?