My recent Writing Group prompt proved rather challenging; involving both a genre in which I’m not adept as well as a topic that sadly holds little interest.
The topic was circus and more on that later. The genre was a limerick – although I enjoy composing some for a laugh after dinner, I’ve never seriously tried to write any.
My first port of call was ever reliable google and helpfully I discovered the basic principles of limericks; the first, second and fifth line have the same number of syllables (approx 7 -10) and rhyme, whilst the third and fourth rhyme but have fewer syllables (4-6). As often happens one site led to another and soon I became engrossed in the history of limericks, which came from Ireland but are thought to have originated in France and first appeared in England in the Middle Ages. To read more about limericks click here.
Circuses never held any fascination for me and way before the current spate of scary clowns, I’ve always found clowns frightening. On top of that I worried about the exploitation of animals which meant I have never been to a circus. However, I would be thrilled to witness the exploits of acrobats and trapeze artists, such as the ones in the limerick below – hopefully under far less eventful circumstances!
On writing my limerick I approached it from the story first and sketched this out. Quickly I realised this would not be one or even two limericks, rather an epic limerick or perhaps more accurately a poem with limerick verses. After endless revisions, tapping out the syllables repeatedly, this was my contribution – I hope you enjoy it.
I surprised myself by have an absolute ball writing the limerick and ‘perfecting’ it – just proving that it’s always good to write outside one’s comfort zone. You never know what will emerge!
The Flying Trapeze
The man on the flying trapeze
He felt just a little unease
The girl he had missed
The Earth she had kissed
And died of a fatal disease.
+++
He now had death on his hands
Which he did not understand
Had he been tricked?
Had he been picked?
As part of somebody’s plan.
+++
In a seat in the back of the tent
Sat the person who had the intent
So pleased that their dream
Achieved by their scheme
She smiled, gave a laugh and then went.
+++
The cause of the sudden demise
Was about her increase in size
She’d put on weight
And in that state
Her future was not a surprise.
+++
A justified lesson would be taught
The ultimate revenge must be sought
She who took her place
Would fall on her face
And the culprit would never be caught.
+++
To ensure there would be no scandal
She took wax from an old church candle
For her anger to cease
She applied candle grease
All along the long trapeze handle.
+++
The man on the flying trapeze
Had failed in his innocence pleas
He’s now serving time
Without reason or rhyme
And spends all his time on his knees.
© Annika Perry
Annika Perry 
Oh my gosh! You are so fabulous. That was amazing!
Oh, thank you so much, Jessica – so happy you enjoyed this! ♥️
You seem to have such an ease with words. I admire that SO much!
Hi – so glad to have found your. Blog through restless jo!
I have been peeking around your blog and this post is my fav so far.
I have an old children’s book on limericks and it is a keeper – I can see how your exploring led to so many trails and your trapeze poem came out wonderful.
Thank you so much for visiting and browsing around my blog. So glad you liked this limerick story – they are such fun and this was a delight (though at times crazy) joy to create. Your children’s limerick book sounds very special and as such should definitely be treasured!
Have a nice day and glad to connect
Oh isn’t this clever! In form, and quite an engaging story to boot! Thank you Annika. 🎄
Thank you, Johanna…that was the trick to try and keep the reader’s attention and not get too concentrated to just making the limerick work. 😀
Great limerick…. Not only you nailed the poetic form: but you told a story… and it is a good one, which includes love, dissapointment, ironic twists and revenge…. Love it!.
Wishing you well, dear Annika…. 😀
Ahh…thank you so much for your warm and kind comment – my heart is glowing now! 😀 I am so glad you liked the limerick and can see everything I was trying to achieve with it – I really do like coming up with story ideas! Wishing you a lovely weekend. 😀
Oh, I loved your limerick Annika. Beautifully done. And you’re right, it’s so much fun to write outside our usual comfort zone. You painted quite a picture here.
Thank you so much, Miriam – I had such a visual imagine in my head of the three trapeze artists, the cirucs etc I spent ages looking for something that resembled it. This exercise has definitely given me the taste for spreading my writing challenges and I’m now looking out for more opportunities. Wishing you a very special weekend, Miriam. 😀
Thank you Annika. You too. xo
How fulfilling and accomplishihing the feeling is when you compose something so nice, outside your comfort zone! *Applause* *Applause* 🙂
Thank you so much for the applause! 😀😃 I’m beaming away whilst duly taking a bow!!
🙂 🙂 🙂
You have ended this sad story very well indeed.
Thank you very much, Rod! 😀
Limericks are out of my comfort zone too but like you I enjoyed the challenge writing them. Well done, your limerick made me smile.
Ahh…glad it raises a smile or two!😀 I had a laugh composing it – again and again!
You’ve found a new skill, Annika! That’s a really great limerick. I love it 🙂 🙂
Jo, thank you so much – really glad you enjoyed it! 😀
Haha…love your ‘epic’ limerick Annika! The only ones I know are quite rude lol 😀 I can really feel the fun you had writing this and sense that once you got started, the words, story and rythym had you in their easy flow grip. Very well done my friend, very enjoyable, loved the ending. And I’m with you, circuses worry me and as for clowns, they’ve always scared me…even more so now with this crazy evil crown phase, which hopefully will soon disappear. These days though, it seems anything can happen…say no more! xxxx
I know, as if people weren’t scared enough of clowns before all this! So glad you enjoyed the limerick and you’re right it was a matter of getting into the rhythm of it particularly. Even then when it sounded right the syllable count was just slightly off…lot of maddening fun! My mind is boggling as to the rude limericks you know! 😀 I’ve obviously got a lot to learn!
Haha…well, I won’t be telling them here! 😀 xxx
Just as well!! Otherwise it would be back to spam prison! 😀😃 Another time though…
Oh dear…that’s a thought! I don’t want to go back there again, lol! Another time…after a couple of glasses of wine maybe, ha! 😀 😉 😀
Wow, Anika. What a story!
Thank you so much, Cynthia! 😃
That is extraordinary, building a limerick into a story! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a limerick story before. Kudos to you, Annika, quite enjoyable 😀
Thank you, Lana! 😀 I love stories so thought why not weave that together with a longer limerick piece – my original plan had been quite longer but my mind was going rhyme/syllable crazy!
I’ll bet it was, ha ha. I’ve never tried to write one 😀
Love this Annika. I’ve only ever seen limericks in the single verse form before, but you’ve pulled off a complete limerick poem. And such a sad but amusing story to boot.
Very well done indeed. Any chance of another one?
Mike
Haha! 😀 Mike, although I this was so much fun I do love prose writing and look forward to returning to that – much easier!! Oh, a bit of tragicomedy always works well and even more so in limericks.
That is just amazing, Annika. I loved reading it. I forgot how fun limricks are.
Jacqui, I could just imagine you writing limericks! They are such fun, hysterically so at times when trying to get just the right number of syllables – it is very different from just sitting around a table making them up to preparing one to read aloud in front of non-family members!😀
What a great limerick–er, poem with limerick verses 🙂 I always find it a great learning experience to venture outside my comfort zone. After the initial “oh my gosh I can’t do this” reaction, of course! Thanks for sharing, Annika!
Julie, oh, yes there was definitely a “oh my gosh I can’t do this” moment, which spread into many such moments and days. It even got to the stage where I considered contacting another writer on the group who has made writing limericks into an art form! I thought this might be ‘cheating’ so buckled down and so glad I did in the end. A totally different method from short story / longer fiction writing.
I’m so glad you tried it! I think limericks are fun once you get into the swing of it. Amazing that your first attempt turned into a limerick epic story! Ha ha. A treat, Annika 🙂
Diana, I’m known for not being able to keep any piece of writing short – Christmas/birthday cards always adorned with an ‘essay’ as my family call my words. There was no chance I’d be able to stick to just five lines – so much to tell…alas no room/effort left for the alternative additional ending I’d planned!
An alternative ending? That would be fun. If you’re ever at a loss for a topic for a post….
😀😃
Wow Annika, you did a wonderfully amusing job with your prompt. We never know what we’re capable of when we step out of our comfort zones. Well done. 🙂
Thank you so much, Debby!😀 This exercise has definitely got me thinking to play around with various writing forms more often and see what transpires!
The possibilities are endless! 🙂
You’ve brought back fond memories of 5th grade English class. I remember at first resisting the fun of limericks but then really enjoyed writing them–though yours is far better!
It’s odd with limericks that they initially strike fear into the novice limerick writer but quickly the fun element takes over – for me I loved the freedom and opportunity to be a bit wacky! Wow, I’m impressed you had such a forward thinking teacher to suggest writing limericks! Kudos to him/her.
You got me laughing, Annika. Hasn’t happened much this week… so I doubly appreciate it.
Thank you so much, Curt – I think laughing is the only way to go at the moment! Glad this helped – that alone makes it worth the effort! 😀
🙂
I enjoyed your clever creation.
It should be read by the whole nation.
Such a fun time
Reading your rhyme
It deserves a standing ovation.
Russ
I’m glad that you seem like a fan
And I did it the best that I can
It took a long time
To make the words rhyme
But now I’m finding it exceedingly difficult at this early in the morning to make the sounds scan! 😀😃
Limerick is sure fun, and I enjoyed yours.😊
Thank you so much, Khaya – I’m so glad you liked it! 😀
Wonderful limerick, Annika! 🙂
Thank you so much, Bette! 😀 I think you’ve written about limericks before and the benefits of the fun of word play, rhythm and rhyme and I kept trying to keep the limerick’s playful nature in mind – mostly worked! 😀
so well done
that i’m not hung
left awaiting
the happy ending 🙂
Ah, David, the happy ending? I’m afraid there is not much hope of one here…although I had written an eighth verse with an alternative ending with the ‘spurned woman in the clink’. Got slightly confusing…thank you so much for your comment.😀
I’m with JC! Seems you’re a bit of a pro at this style/form. Very funny and engaging story Annika.
Ahh…many thanks, Kathy. I must say I was surprised how much fun it was writing this and then I enjoyed the constant re-working. It’s a laugh when you can get by with being quite mad and not totally logical and sensible!
Are you sure you haven’ written limericks before? This is excellent! And though it is tragic, it’s witty all the same.
JC, I don’t know what it is about me but I often go the tragic route on my short stories…my initial idea was even more involved and tragic but my rhyming head lost the plot after 8 stanzas (then cut to 7). Nope, I’ve never written any before but made up lots for fun!
A complete story, with a well-crafted plot, all in limerick form. Brilliantly done. It showcases your natural talent as a wordsmith.
Many thanks, Peter – I loved coming up with the short story idea which had to be cut down quite dramatically whilst still retaining the basic concept.
Fantastic Annika. This is really quite a tragic story and yet
I can’t help but smiling. Limerick obviously has this hidden ingredient.:))
You go girl, a new genre to add to your reportoire.
Mirja
Mirja, many thanks for your lovely comment. 😀 I’m not sure about adding this to my repertoire permanently – I don’t think I’ve worked and re-worked on a piece so much before! It is fun to be so tragic and funny at the same time – a real hoot – the freedom an unexpected joy!
These are all great, Annika! Well done! I’m so happy you shared them. Enjoy your day!
Thank you so much, Jill – after the positive reaction of my writing group I dared share it here…if they had been half-hearted about my piece I’d probably have chickened out! Hope you’re having a lovely Saturday. 😀
Brava. You nailed it.
Awww…many thanks, Bernadette! 😀
A wonderful and enjoyable play on words, Annika! Very imaginitive, humorous, and well crafted limerick! I really enjoyed this, thank you for posting!
Pete, thank you so much for your great comment! 😀 So glad you liked the limerick – after my initial dread it was a joy to write, and re-write…My initial story plan was even more convoluted and crazy but had to drop that!