Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

My Unathletic Career (Limerick)

Saturday, March 16th, 2024

My endurance in gym class was poor.
I was slow, klutzy, small, and what’s more,
The mere sight of a ball
Made me duck. After all,
My two goals were “Break nothing! Don’t score!”

My Spelling Bee Plight

Friday, November 24th, 2023

My dear husband will freely admit:
About spelling Mark doesn’t know shit.
Yet he speedily sees
The Bee’s pangrams with ease…
While I languish — a pangram-less twit.

I’m Interviewed by Michael Croland of Dover Publications, on the Topic of Acrostic Limericks

Friday, April 21st, 2023

I was honored to be interviewed by Michael Croland, of Dover Publications, on the topic of Acrostic Limericks. His piece includes eight of my acrostic limericks, in addition to my thoughts about the challenges of adding an acrostic element to a verse form that already has more than its share of rhyme and meter rules.

So, if you have any interest in acrostic limericks, or acrostic poetry in general, you should enjoy Croland’s article, “ACROSTIC LIMERICKS: A HYBRID OF TWO FORMS.”

NOTE: Croland’s most recent book, There Once Was a Limerick Anthology, was published by Dover Publications in August 2022, and his next book, Acrostic Poetry: The First-Ever Anthology, will be published by Dover in August 2023. 

Limerick Ode To Hubby’s Broccoli

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023

I used to hate brocc’li. No more!
It’s a food that I’ve come to adore.
But only if made
By my Mark: Well-sautéed,
Hot and spicy, and garlicked full-bore.

Happy “We Love Broccoli Day!” (March 22)

Unadventurous Limerick

Monday, March 13th, 2023

An adventurous person? Hee-hee!
I’m a bit of a coward, you see.
So to physical risks,
I say “No!” All my discs
And my bones seem essential to me.

More Life With Mark And Madeleine

Tuesday, January 10th, 2023

Madeleine: Nice job on yesterday’s Bee! You got some great words I missed.

Mark: But that makes no sense! I learned them from you.

Madeleine: I didn’t teach you those words. I transferred them.

Happy Birthday To My Great Husband Mark (Limerick)

Saturday, July 9th, 2022

Happy birthday, dear hubby! Have fun!
You’re the best husband under the sun!
And PLEASE don’t feel stiffed,
But this lim’rick’s my gift.
(Aren’t you happy you wed a “Begun?”)

Birthday Limerick For My Dear Brother, Arthur

Wednesday, April 6th, 2022

It’s your birthday, dear brother, so try
To have fun. (Maybe even get high.)
And I also must say
On this wonderful day:
How dare you be younger than I!

My Brother’s Rabbit Habit (Limerick)

Sunday, January 30th, 2022

My brother (Arthur Begun) and his wife (Janet) are both animal lovers. So this limerick tale is true:

My brother feeds bunnies for fun.
Though they’re wild, they stand by and don’t run;
As he doles out each plate,
They expectantly wait
For their carrots, till dinner is done.

When I Rise, I Don’t Shine (Limerick)

Monday, November 1st, 2021

Ev’ry day when I rise, hubby greets me
With political news, which depletes me.
He’s eager to share it,
But I just can’t bear it,
Cuz pre-caffeine info defeats me.

Blind To The Truth (Limerick)

Monday, September 6th, 2021

This is a true, personal story. And it remains a vivid memory:

My teacher in pre-school would whine:
“Is your coloring off by design?
You must crayon within
The lines, or your kin
Will be called. I am drawing the line!”

Seems it never occurred to my teacher
That I’m naught but a near-sighted creature,
Who could NOT see those lines.
She missed all the signs.
To this day, I would love to impeach her.

Birthday Limerick For Hubby Mark

Friday, July 9th, 2021

Here’s a birthday limerick for my husband Mark, in response to his joking (I hope) query: “Mad, it’s my Birthday, and I’m feeling a bit down, so would it be OK if I visited our local ecdysiast?”

Happy birthday to Mark! You’re the best!
Though you’re old, you still live life with zest.
I am joking, of course;
If you’re old, I perforce
Am antique. (So no dancers undressed!)

Happy 41st Wedding Anniversary To My Husband Mark (Limerick)

Tuesday, June 4th, 2019

Happy 41st wedding anniversary to my wonderful husband Mark!

Married 41 years! Can it be?
Seems impossible! I can still see
My first vision of you
On that train. What a view!
Very soon, you and I became … WHEE!

Meeting Anniversary Limerick (Two-Verse)

Saturday, April 20th, 2019

It’s been forty-two years since I met
My dear spouse. (No, we weren’t wed yet.)
My then husband-to-be
Swiftly said: “Marry ME!”
I agreed (making friends lose a bet.)

For my failure to date or to mingle
Made people assume I’d stay single.
I’d at best be a “beard,”
And to most I appeared
No more likely to wed … than be NINGAL*.

*NINGAL: “Sumerian goddess, whose name means Great Lady, the wife of the moon god…”

More Life With Mark and Madeleine

Tuesday, February 19th, 2019

Life With Mark and Madeleine:

Mark: Which band is this?

Madeleine: Damn! I need a hint.

Mark: If I phrase it differently, I’ll give it away.

Madeleine: What a great hint!

Mark: What???

Madeleine: No, “Who!”

More Life With Mark And Madeleine

Monday, November 26th, 2018

Mark: Alexa says it isn’t going to rain.

Madeleine: Alexa needs to get out more.

*****

Mark: I’m going to reformat and re-post “Life With Mark and Madeleine” of yours from last year.” Is that ok?

Madeleine: Be careful about wearing out your welcome.

Mark: But it was very popular! I’m gonna do it.

Madeleine: Whatever…

Mark: Thanks for your permission.

Madeleine: It wasn’t permission. It was a sigh of helplessness and hopelessness.

*****

Life With Mark and Madeleine:

Madeleine: We have to throw out your Romaine lettuce.

Mark: Why?

Madeleine: There’s another E. coli scare.

Mark: Damn! I just had Romaine in my Greek salad.

Madeleine: How’s your stomach.

Mark: Fine … until now.

*****

Mark: Did you know you can ask Alexa to tell you a story?

Madeleine: I hear enough stories from you.

*****

Madeleine: Are we in the middle of a “Masters Of Sex” episode?

Mark: No, we finished it.

Madeleine: What’s the last thing you remember?

Mark: Finishing it.

*****

Madeleine: “Alexa, bake one potato.”

Alexa: “Hmmm, I don’t know that.”

Madeleine: That’s because you aren’t a microwave.

Mark: Don’t be mean to Alexa!

*****

A Good Holiday To Skip (Limerick)

Sunday, April 22nd, 2018

It’s “Send Your Man Nudes Day.” Oy Vey!
Will I celebrate THAT one? No way!
I’m too old for that stuff,
So no pics in the buff!
I’ll forgo risking cyber-display.

Send Your Man Nudes Day falls on April 22 each year.

Happy 41st Meeting Anniversary To Hubby Mark (Limerick)

Friday, April 20th, 2018

I concede this sounds rather insane,
But I found my true love on a train;
Not a club, not a bar,
But the LIRR
Changed my life — gave me Mark Gary Kane.

Life With Mark And Madeleine

Saturday, November 25th, 2017

*****
Mark: I’m sorry I’m so nasty to you.

Madeleine: I’m sorry you’re so nasty to me too.

Mark: At least we can agree on SOMETHING.

*****
Mark: We make a great team!

Madeleine: Why?

Mark: We complement each other well.

Madeleine: Thanks for the compliment!

*****
Mark: “You have to hear how this [random scientific innovation] works!”

Me: “You know your techie explanations always hurt my head.”

Mark: “Can’t you at least pretend to listen?”

Me: “How convincingly do I have to pretend?”

*****

Mark: Have you ever heard “Alice’s Restaurant?”

Madeleine: Yes.

Mark. Many people have a tradition of listening to it every Thanksgiving.

Madeleine: I too have a tradition…

Mark: Great!

Madeleine: …of avoiding it.

*****

#LifeWithMarkAndMadeleine #LifeWithMadeleineAndMark

Hooked On Rhyming (Limerick)

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

I’m a rhymer, a limerick drafter,
A chronic light-poetry crafter.
I’ve been labeled a “card,”
And called “daft,” but not “bard.”
What’s my target? Grins, giggles, and laughter.