Archive for the ‘Haiku & Senryu’ Category
Saturday, December 18th, 2010
Last week I wrote a series of holiday office party haiku before and after my husband’s office Christmas party. Having survived the festivities, I figured I’d post what’s turned into a trilogy here. (Note: I added one in 2014, turning it into a quartet.)
Holiday party
At husband’s office tonight.
Note to self: Behave.
*****
Trying not to smile–
must conserve facial muscles
for office party.
*****
Friendly note from pals:
“Enjoy the office party.”
Never a good plan.
*****
Ev’ryone behaved
At the office Christmas bash.
Now safe to have fun.
(You can find more of my office party humor here.)
Tags: Christmas Party Humor, December Holidays, Holiday Haiku, Office Party, Seasonal Senryu, Work Humor
Posted in Celebrations Poetry, Haiku & Senryu, Holiday Humor, Limericks, Workplace & Career Humor | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
The movie about Facebook, The Social Network, has been getting a ton of publicity this week. So I wonder if Facebook’s outages today were caused by the extra publicity, or just an unfortunate coincidence.
Of course I immediately went into Facebook withdrawal and wrote this pair of haiku:
I think Facebook’s down.
Where to go to confirm this?
On Twitter, of course.
and
Facebook back — Hurray!
Have I cheered prematurely?
So Twitter tells me.
Tags: Computer Verse, Facebook Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Movies, Social Networking Humor, Twitter Verse, Web Addict, Web Withdrawal
Posted in Addiction Humor, Computer Humor, Facebook Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Technology Humor, Twitter Humor | Comments Off on Some Fun With Facebook’s Outage
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
June in New York’s been a wash-out this year. So I’ve written both a limerick and a haiku about our rainy weather. And I welcome you to write some weather verse too:
First my limerick:
June Down The Drain
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Oh, when will the rain ever wane?
Our weather this June’s been insane.
We are having a bout
With the inverse of drought.
So whoever’s in charge, please refrain!
And now my haiku:
Rainy New York June
Has identity crisis:
It thinks it’s April.
Feel free to write your own weather-related limerick (using my first line, if you’d like) and/or weather haiku and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, please join my FB friends in a limerick-off and haiku-off.
Tags: April, Drought, Haiku & Senryu, Identity Crisis, June, Limerick, New York, Rain, Showers, Verse, Weather, Writing Prompts
Posted in Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, New York Limericks & Haiku, Outdoors Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Seasons Humor, Weather Humor | 17 Comments »
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
I feel (and share) EW’s Michael Slezak’s rage over the American Idol judges’ performance last night.
So what are we both so angry about? I sum it up in my American Idol Review haiku:
An “A for for effort”
To Gokey from the judges?
An F for standards.
Update: Now I’m really angry! Just as I feared, American Idol booted Allison Iraheta instead of Danny Gokey. Talk about unfair! The only good part is we were spared an encore rendition of Danny’s infamous final note.
Tags: Allison Iraheta, American Idol, Danny Gokey, Idol Judges, Music Haiku, Television Review
Posted in Entertainment Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Music Humor & Verse, Television (TV) Humor | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Aim for brilliant
In just one-forty characters.
Settle for inane.
Tags: Creativity, Microblogging, Twitter
Posted in Communication Humor, Computer Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Internet Humor, Mental Health Humor, Technology Humor, Twitter Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | Comments Off on My Twitter Motto (Haiku)
Thursday, February 5th, 2009
Valentine’s Day is coming up — an ideal topic for my very overdue limerick and a haiku (senryu) prompt. First, my limerick:
St. Valentine’s Day’s coming soon.
It’s a choc’late and rose-sellers’ boon.
Will your loved one come through
And make festive ado?
Or just buy you a five-buck balloon?
And now my haiku (senryu):
St. Valentine’s Day—
One day each February?
No. Daily each year.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about Valentine’s Day. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. And please post a comment as well.
(For more Valentine’s Day cheer, my Valiant Guy’s Guide to Valentine’s Day humor column is here.)
Tags: Balloons, Candy, Chocolate, February, February Holidays, Flowers, Gifts, Haiku & Senryu, Holiday, Limerick, Love, Poetry Prompt, Romance, Senryu, Valentine Day's Humor, Valentine's Day
Posted in Advice Humor & Poems, Battle of the Sexes, Celebrations Poetry, Food & Drink Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Holiday Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Relationship Humor, Romance Humor, Shopping Humor | 20 Comments »
Thursday, November 20th, 2008
A limerick and a haiku (senryu) with teeth today. First, my limerick:
I think I’m becoming unglued —
Not my mind, but a cap caught on food.
But I can’t blame the guy
Who implanted it. Why?
I forgot to get perm-glued — not shrewd!
And now my haiku (senryu):
The left and the right
May mouth off at each other,
But both hate dentists.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about dentists and/or teeth. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. And please post a comment as well.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your dental verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
UPDATE 2: Happy National Toothache Day! (celebrated yearly on February 9th) And happy Dentists Day! (celebrated yearly on March 6th)
Tags: Cap, Dentist, Dentists Day, Food, National Toothache Day, Teeth
Posted in Haiku & Senryu, Health & Medical Humor, Health Verse, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Odd Holidays | 18 Comments »
Saturday, October 25th, 2008
Here’s something fun for food-loving poets: TimeOut New York is having a pie-ku haiku contest. Here’s the one I submitted:
A freshly baked pie:
Tasty dessert and fragrant
Co-op buyer bait.
Tags: Co-op Humor, Food Haiku, Home Selling Poem, New York, New York City Verse, Pie Haiku, Pie Verse, Pie-ku, TimeOut
Posted in Contests, Food & Drink Humor, Haiku & Senryu, House & Home Humor, New York Limericks & Haiku, Real Estate Humor | Comments Off on Pie-ku Haiku Contest
Friday, October 24th, 2008
Today I’ve decided to have some homonym fun and I hope you will too. I’ve written two haiku about meat and a limerick using the word meet. First, my limerick:
Whenever I meet someone new,
I use memory tricks till I’m blue.
But it’s always the same —
I forget ev’ry name
Right away — hope they blank mine out too.
And now my two meat haiku (senryu):
Jews who keep kosher
Have anti-pig-meat bias:
“Don’t reform!” say pigs.
I can’t understand
Those who oppose beef-eating,
Except, perhaps, cows.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse using the homonyms meet and meat, or some other pair of homonyms if you prefer. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky.
Update: I added a second haiku, after commenter Stan Ski correctly pointed out that my cow haiku was about meat, but didn’t include the word meat.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE 2: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your homonym verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Beef Eaters, Cow Poem, Food Verse, Homonym Poems, Jewish Humor, Keeping Kosher, Meat Humor, Meeting Humor, Memory Limerick, Memory Tricks, Pig Haiku, Writing Prompts
Posted in Animal & Pet Humor, Food & Drink Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Jewish Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Memory Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Religion Verse | 4 Comments »
Friday, October 10th, 2008
I sure hope many of you use (or at least are familiar with) Twitter. Because Twitter is today’s limerick and haiku topic. First, my limerick:
Twitter Jitters
By Madeleine Begun Kane
I really don’t mean to sound bitter,
But it’s hard to fit humor on Twitter.
Posting tweets so damn short
Is a challenging sport,
Cuz there’s no time for laughs — just a titter.
And now my Twitter haiku (senryu):
My tweets on Twitter:
Memories, links, mutterings.
Fragments of a life.
As you might have guessed, I use Twitter. If you’d like to, you can follow my Twitter Tweets here.
But now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about Twitter. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your verse about Twitter in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Creativity, Internet Verse, Microblogging, Prompts, Tweets, Twitter
Posted in Communication Humor, Computer Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Internet Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Mobile Web, Poetry & Prompts, Technology Humor, Twitter Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 8 Comments »
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
We’re in the middle of a financial crisis that affects almost everyone. So I hope you’ll join me in writing limericks and haiku (senryu) about our Wall Street woes. First, my limerick:
I shudder when opening mail,
And my sinking accounts make me wail.
I would sure like to beat
Up those guys on the Street,
But I fear that I can’t afford bail.
And now my haiku (senryu):
Financial vultures
First gobble up our assets,
Then demand dessert.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about Wall Street woes. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have until October 3rd to post it.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your verse about Wall Street woes in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Economic Meltdown, Economy Humor, Finance Haiku, Financial Verse, Money Limerick, Wall Street Woes, Writing Prompts
Posted in Business Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Poetry & Prompts | 11 Comments »
Sunday, September 7th, 2008
When I was in elementary school, I was really bad at two things — art and athletics. Come to think of it, I’m still bad at them. And that leads me to this week’s alternative poetry prompt themes: school and/or things you aren’t good at.
First, a limerick about my art prowess … or lack thereof:
Please do not make me paint. Have a heart!
I was awful at art from the start.
Flunking finger paint’s rare,
But I did it. So there!
Use a house-painting pro and be smart.
And now my unathletic haiku (senryu):
I hope for my name,
As the girls pick their teammates.
Next to last again.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about school and/or things you aren’t good at. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have until September 5th to post it.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your verse about school and/or things you aren’t good at in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Art Limerick, Athletics, Elementary School Art, Gym Class Poem, House Painting Humor, School Humor, Teammates, Writing Prompts
Posted in Art Humor / Verse, Education & School Humor, Gym Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
A new limerick, haiku, and senryu prompt (at long last) whose theme is jewelry, crafts, and engagements. First, my limerick:
Engagement Bling
By Madeleine Begun Kane
“I’m engaged,” said the gal to her mom.
“I’m in love and I’m marrying Tom.”
“But I don’t see a ring,”
Said her mom. “Get some bling.
Until then, I intend to stay calm.”
And now my haiku (senryu):
Craft show earrings
Once adorned the riverfront
And now grace my lobes.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about jewelry, crafts, or engagements. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have until September 5th to post it.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your jewelry, crafts, and engagement-related verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
UPDATE 2: National Jewel Day is March 13th.
Tags: Crafts Fair, Earrings Haiku, Engagement Ring, Fashion Verse, Haiku Prompts, Jewel Day, Jewelry Humor, Love Humor, March Holidays, Mom Limerick, National Jewel Day, Odd Holidays, Writing Prompts
Posted in Dating Humor, Family & Relatives Humor, Family Verse, Fashion Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Marriage Humor, Mothers & Fathers Humor, Odd Holidays, Outdoors Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Relationship Humor, Romance Humor | 2 Comments »
Monday, July 21st, 2008
Sorry for the delay, but though my cast is finally off, I’m still having wrist problems.
Today’s limerick, haiku, and senryu theme is vacations. First, my limerick, which was inspired by my husband Mark:
Vacation Verse
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My husband is swimming outdoors.
I expect he’ll be back when it pours,
Which it threatens to do
Ev’ry day, so he’s blue.
Yes, vacations are rain guarantors.
And now my haiku (senryu):
I’m on vacation,
Yet here I am writing verse.
Give it a rest, brain.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about vacations. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have until August 1st to post it.
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your vacation-related verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Rain Limerick, Swimming Humor, Vacation Verse, Weather Poem, Writing Haiku, Writing Prompts
Posted in Family Verse, Haiku & Senryu, Holiday Humor, Leisure Time Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Marriage Humor, Outdoors Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Sports Humor, Vacation Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 11 Comments »
Friday, June 6th, 2008
Sorry for my late posting. As I mentioned in my last post, I recently broke my wrist.
Today’s limerick, haiku, and senryu theme is sleep and insomnia. First, my limerick:
Sleepless In Bayside
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My husband can catnap at will,
And my jealous reaction is shrill.
My insomnia’s bad —
Just can’t help getting mad,
Cuz his snores can be heard in Brazil.
And now my haiku or senryu:
I watch my husband
Sleep hour after hour.
What is his secret?
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write some verse about sleep and insomnia. When you’ve posted your poem(s), please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have a whole week to post it.
(Note: My poems were inspired by these three prompts: “catnap, “my nights” and “when I watch you.”)
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your sleep and insomnia verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Husband Humor, Insomnia Verse, Sleep Poetry, Writing Prompts
Posted in Battle of the Sexes, Family & Relatives Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Marriage Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Relationship Humor, Sleep & Insomnia Humor | 12 Comments »
Friday, May 23rd, 2008
Today’s limerick and haiku theme is dates and dating. First, my limerick:
The gal was enjoying her date
Till her escort became quite irate.
He assaulted a waiter,
Then said, “See ya later.”
I suppose it was something he ate.
And now my dating-related haiku:
His seeing eye dog
Led the man to her table:
A double blind date.
Now, of course, it’s your turn. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write a limerick or haiku (or both) about dates and dating. When you’ve posted your verse, please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry, using Mr. Linky. There’s no rush, by the way, because you have two weeks to post it.
(Note: My limerick was inspired in part by Sunday Scribblings’ “quitting” prompt.)
Limerick and Haiku Prompts Participants
UPDATE: Mr. Linky is now closed, but you can still add links to your dating verse in the Comments. And if you’d like to participate in a new poetry prompt, you can always find my latest one here.
Tags: Date Haiku, Dating Limerick, Dining Humor, Food Humor, Waiter Verse, Writing Prompts
Posted in Dating Humor, Food & Drink Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Relationship Humor, Wordplay | 13 Comments »
Friday, May 16th, 2008
Impulse purchases
liberate you from your cash,
betray your self-worth.
(Sometimes I like to challenge myself by using several prompts at once, and today’s a threefer: “impulse,” “betrayal,” and “liberation,” all courtesy of Writers Island. And speaking of writing prompts, I’ve just posted a new one whose theme is “warning” and/or “caution.”)
Update: My husband Mark (who seems to be turning into a poet) read my haiku and almost immediately came up with his own. I must confess that I like his better:
That impulse buy —
betrayal of frugality.
Ah … liberation.
Tags: Financial Humor, Money Haiku, Shopping Verse
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Haiku & Senryu, Money & Finance Humor, Shopping Humor | 4 Comments »
