Archive for the ‘Creativity Verse’ Category
Monday, March 14th, 2011
We Write Poems has an against the grain prompt which asks how (or if) we manage to write when we just aren’t feeling creative. My three-verse limerick explains all … sort of:
To write humor when not in the mood
Takes a major adjustment of ‘tude.
If I’m still uninspired,
I tell me, “You’re fired,”
Or pretend I’m about to be sued.
Okay, none of this stuff’s really true.
When I’m blocked, I don’t know what to do.
So I shower or walk,
Read the news, turn on talk,
Absorb info, inviting a cue.
At long last something starts to take hold,
And a concept begins to unfold,
As I play with the news
Which teases my muse
In my quest for some comedy gold.
(You can find more of my writers block humor here.)
Tags: Comedy Limerick, Creativity, Humor Writing, Muse, We Write Poems, Writer's Block, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Creativity Verse, Limericks, Writing & Publishing Humor | 26 Comments »
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Warning to those here for their daily dose of “funny.” Most of these aren’t. Sorry!
My passionate hunt
for humor in the mundane—
a chastening quest.
*****
Vulgar temptation
haunts, tantalizes, prevails—
beats dainty retreat.
*****
Passionate and raw
feelings too painful to root
escape on breached wings.
*****
Integrity fights
a war against temptation—
battles to a draw.
*****
A thought tempts, glimmers,
says “explore me,” then wings off—
never to return.
*****
Marching to the beat
of your own drum may work best
in solo parades.
*****
To those who ask me
how I remember my verse—
that’s what blogs are for.
*****
Thanks to these prompts for their inspiration: Carry On Tuesday, Haiku Heights, Haiku Wednesday, LoL Prompts, One Single Impression, Poetic Asides, Sunday Scribblings, and Three Word Wednesday.
Tags: Blogging Humor, Creativity, Haiku & Senryu, Inspiration, Integrity, Memory, Mundane, Passion, Temptation, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Creativity Verse, Haiku & Senryu, Memory Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 34 Comments »
Monday, March 7th, 2011
I’m playing with clichés today:
Clichéd Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I try to think outside the box,
But sometimes those boxes have locks.
And to break myself free
With creative esprit,
I have to be crazy like fox.
UPDATE: Happy Cliché Day, November 3rd!
Tags: Cliché Day, Clichés Humor, Creativity, November Holidays, Odd Holidays, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Cliché Humor, Creativity Verse, Language Humor, Limericks, Odd Holidays, Writing & Publishing Humor | 8 Comments »
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
It makes me fidget,
but I book myself to write
accidental verse.
*****
Accidental glance,
de-liberating romance—
just the dance of chance.
*****
Shocking incident:
things accidentally went
exactly as planned.
*****
Ms. Bristol Palin’s
book contract and dancing gig—
accident of birth.
*****
Booked reservation
at restaurant, but canceled—
had reservations.
*****
If you dare mention
certain odd affinities,
brace for fidgeting.
*****
Tags: Bristol Palin, Drink Verse, Food Haiku, Happy Accidents, One Single Impression, Planning Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Reservations Haiku, Romance Humor, Theme Thursday, Three Word Wednesday, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Haiku
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Books, Celebrity Humor, Creativity Verse, Family & Relatives Humor, Family Verse, Food & Drink Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Relationship Haiku, Romance Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 21 Comments »
Saturday, February 26th, 2011
String quartet concert
missing one violinist—
time to improvise.
*****
Cruising musician
garners Carnegie Hall gig—
fantasy at sea.
*****
Distracted jazzer
misplaces his melodies—
loses audience.
****
Clueless conductor
hurls baton at oboist—
finally a cue.
*****
Billy Joel said:
We Didn’t Start The Fire.
Maybe we need to.
*****
(My first and third haiku were inspired by The Writer’s Island improvise prompt. My second haiku was inspired by Haiku Wednesday’s fantasy prompt. My late addition 5th haiku was inspired by Sunday Scribblings’ fire prompt.)
Tags: Billy Joel, Carnegie Hall, Classical Music Humor, Conductors Humor, Fantasies, Fire, Haiku & Senryu, Haiku Wednesday, Improvising, Jazz Pianist, Music Haiku, Music Humor & Verse, Musical Verse, Oboe Humor, Orchestra Musicians, String Players, Sunday Scribblings, Writer's Island
Posted in Creativity Verse, Haiku & Senryu, Music Humor & Verse | 25 Comments »
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
When I heard that the February 27th prompt over at One Single Impression is vellicate, I knew I was in trouble. Why? Cuz I had no idea what it meant and how it’s pronounced. And even after I’d Googled the damn word, it still didn’t feel assimilated. Plus it just didn’t tickle my funny bone.
But though I was irritated by its unfamiliarity, I was itching to write a limerick. So here it is:
Itching To Write A Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Often poetry prompts can enrich.
But they sometimes can be quite a bitch.
Sunday’s vellicate prompt
On my brain cells has stomped.
The mere thought of that word makes me twitch.
Tags: Creativity, One Single Impression, Poetry & Prompts, Word Play Humor, Writer's Block, Writing Prompts
Posted in Creativity Verse, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Wordplay, Writing & Publishing Humor | 18 Comments »
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Over the years I’ve written enough humor columns, limericks, and sundry light verse to fill two or three collections. And one of these days I may even get my act together, stop procrastinating and self-publish at least one of them. I mention this because Big Tent Poetry’s latest prompt urges us to come up with a name for a future book and then write a title poem for that non-existent book.
Yes, I know this is Sheer Madness, which is also the title of my non-existent humor collection:
Sheer Madness
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I’m hoping to publish a book
With an excellent concept and hook.
It’s title? Sheer Madness,
Reviewed please sans badness,
Sold on paper and Kindle and Nook.
Tags: Book Reviewers Verse, Book Title Humor, Creativity, E-Books, Humor Book, Madness Humor, Procrastination Verse, Publishing Limerick, Self-Publishing, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Book Publishing Humor, Books, Creativity Verse, Humor Columns & Humorous Essays, Kindle Humor, Limericks, Procrastination Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 27 Comments »
Saturday, February 12th, 2011
Epiphany (Tanka)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My muse teases me,
Awaiting epiphanies
That never arrive.
So I must go it alone,
Writing until I’m amused.
(Note: Tanka is five line Japanese poetry which pre-dates haiku and whose syllabic form is 5-7-5-7-7. I usually think of it as haiku plus two more 7 syllable lines. My Epiphany Tanka was inspired by the Writers Island epiphany prompt.)
Tags: Creativity, Epiphanies, Inspiration, Japanese Poetry, Muse, Tanka, Writer's Block, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Creativity Verse, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Tanka, Writing & Publishing Humor | 14 Comments »
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
This week Big Tent Poetry prompts us to cheer ourselves up and cure whatever’s ailing us by writing poetry. I’m no cheerier than before, but at least I did write a relevant limerick … sort of:
Blue Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Our topic today feels perverse:
It’s curing our blues with some verse.
If I write something happy
It’s sure to be crappy.
And bad limericks make me feel worse.
Tags: Blues Limerick, Depression, Mental Health Satire, Poem Therapy, Therapeutic Writing, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Behavior & Personality, Creativity Verse, Limericks, Mental Health Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 26 Comments »
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
One of my limerick-writing pals has challenged me to hold a Double-Dactyl-Off. My initial response was “What the hell’s a double dactyl?”
So I Googled it, read the rules, and attempted to write a couple of them myself. I’ll try to summarize the rules here and will provide links to some good resources and samples. (Don’t worry if you find the rules confusing. Once you read a couple of examples, they make more sense.)
1) A double dactyl is a two stanza (eight line) humorous poem consisting mostly of dactyls. What’s a dactyl? A dactyl has three syllables, one stressed followed by two unstressed (/ _ _ ).
2) Line 1 is a nonsense phrase consisting of two dactyls (like Higgeldy Piggeldy or Dickery Dockery or Flippity Flappity.)
3) Line 2 is the name of a famous person (usually historic) but must be a double dactyl (like Emily Dickinson or Joseph DiMaggio or Hans Christian Andersen.)
4) Lines 4 and 8 must rhyme.
5) Somewhere in the second stanza there’s is a double dactyl formed by a single word (like megalomaniac or gubernatorial or idiosyncrasy.)
Here’s the form which I borrowed from Miss Rumphius.
1 – double dactyl nonsense phrase (like Higgeldy Piggeldy)
2 – double dactyl of a person’s name
3 – double dactyl
4 – one dactyl plus a stressed syllable (/ _ _ / )
5 – double dactyl
6 – double dactyl
7 – double dactyl
8 – one dactyl plus a stressed syllable (/ _ _ / )
(Wikipedia provides the rules and examples.)
Here are my first two attempts. (I invite you to post your own in my comments.)
Higgledy Piggledy
Ludwig van Beethoven
Wrote the Eroica,
Sadly went deaf.
Incontrovertibly
Gifted and masterful.
Some say he’s better than
Brahms. Need a ref.
*****
Rickety Rackety
David A. Paterson
Got to be gov cuz boss
Spitzer resigned.
Patterson governed us
Counter-productively.
Sure’s been a while since a
Governor’s shined.
I’m looking forward to your double dactyls. Have fun! And if you’re on Facebook, please post your double dactyls here on Facebook too.
Tags: David Paterson, Double Dactyls, Emily Dickinson, Hans Christian Andersen, Historic Persons, Humorous Verse, Ludwig van Beethoven, Poetry Challenge
Posted in Creativity Verse, Double Dactyls, Light Verse, Music Humor & Verse, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Political Satire | 9 Comments »
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
Congratulations to all the Washington Post Style Invitational limerick contest winners! (This is the contest I mentioned previously, where B-rhyme lines were provided.)
No, I didn’t win anything or earn an honorable mention. But I did write a limerick about losing:
A Loser Of A Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A contest was held by the Post,
But alas I’m unable to boast.
I submitted some verse —
Did not win, but won’t curse,
Though it seems that my entries are toast.
(Here’s my post about a previous WP Style Invitational limerick contest, where I managed to score an honorable mention.)
Tags: Poetry Contest, Style Invitational, Washington Post Limerick Contest, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Contests, Creativity Verse, Limericks, Writing & Publishing Humor | 2 Comments »
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010
It’s time for another Limerick-Off. I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A naked young woman named May…
Here’s mine:
Naked Verse
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A naked young woman named May
Posed for art classes nude ev’ry day.
She enjoyed being sketched
And liked sculpture, but kvetched
Herself hoarse posing naked on hay.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity in my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please send me an email requesting the alerts. You’ll find my email address on the upper right sidebar, right above my photo. Thanks!
Tags: Art Humor, Art School, Education & School Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Posing Nude, Sculpture, Sketching, Writing Prompts
Posted in Art Humor / Verse, Creativity Verse, Education & School Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts | 30 Comments »
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Needless to say, I wrote this limerick while running around doing sundry chores:
What A Drag!
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A woman who’s dragging a cart
Has some errands to run. Where to start?
The cleaners and grocer —
Too bad they’re not closer.
How she longs to stay home and make art.
Tags: Creativity, Errands, Household Chores, Shopping Verse, Writers, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Art Humor / Verse, Creativity Verse, House & Home Humor, Limericks, Shopping Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 13th, 2010
The Washington Post runs a yearly limerick writing competition as part of its Style Invitational and has just announced this year’s winners. No, I didn’t win, but I was pleased to receive an Honorable Mention.
If you’d like to read some clever, well-written limericks, I recommend reading the winning limericks.
And now, a limerick about writing limericks:
An Ode To The Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Writing lim’ricks is sometimes confusing
Cuz the rules can be tricky and bruising.
But their sing-songy beat
Can be fun — just don’t cheat.
Write them right and they’re very amusing.
Tags: Poetry Writing, Style Invitational, Washington Post Limerick Contest, Writing Limericks
Posted in Creativity Verse, Limerick Writing Contest, Limericks, Poems About Poems, Poetry Contest, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
An infamous author named Gene…
Here’s mine:
Infamous Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
An infamous author named Gene
Was obnoxious and often obscene.
He was paid a steep price
For his writing, concise.
His prose was, like Gene, lean and mean.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity in my Limerick-Offs.
Tags: Authors & Playwrights, Poetry & Prompts, Writers, Writing Prompts
Posted in Authors & Playwrights, Behavior & Personality, Creativity Verse, Language Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Writing & Publishing Humor | 25 Comments »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A creative young woman named Ro…
Here’s mine:
Creative Verse
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A creative young woman named Ro
Snagged a role in an Off-Broadway show.
She could sing, dance, write verse,
Paint and bake, but her curse
Was she never could raise any dough.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity in my Limerick-Offs.
Tags: Acting Limerick, Creativity, Money Poems, Off-Broadway, Poetry & Prompts, Theater Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Creativity Verse, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Movie & Play Humor, Poetry & Prompts | 15 Comments »
