Time to rhyme and learn

While we are celebrating our digital learning here at JJL, April is also being celebrated as National Poetry Month in the United States.

• Did you have a Poem in Your Pocket on April 17th?
• Have you explored your calendar for any poetry events taking place locally?
• Have you read any good poems recently?

Yes, I recognize that there are those who would respond: "by definition, there is no such thing as a good poem". Alas, you do not fully understand what you are missing.

The opportunity to write with some restrictions and focus comes in many forms. One is via a theme. One is via the format.

Hence, a sherku which is my variation, really an extension of haiku.

sherku: defined

focus your writing, say it
all concentrated in just
nineteen syllables

This month I am working on a series of sherku on the stops along the Franklin Line. I ride the rails twice most days, I know the stops by heart but do I know much about what is at each stop? No, hence a little speculation and a little learning ensue on this series, along with a healthy dose of fun.

For the stops I knew very little of, I used Google and Wikipedia for some research. For example, I learned that the land next to Ruggles Station was the site of the South End Grounds where the old Boston Braves baseball team played. These are the Braves that now play in Atlanta.

Franklin Line: Ruggles Station

The old Braves outfield at the
South End Grounds is a
Parking garage at Ruggles

My posting on Steve's 2 Cents about this series got picked up by UniversalHub, a collection of Boston blogs. It inspired commuter-rail limericks. Wow!

I have long admire the work of Limerick Savant so I went back to my trusty companions (Google and Wikipedia) to learn more more about limericks. I read about the story of the limerick challenge that took place amongst some newspapers back in 1924.

This series of limericks first appeared in a June 14, 1924 edition of a Nantucket newspaper. It all began when the Princeton Tiger revived the then well-known limerick printed first below and the Chicago Tribune answered with the second limerick. The New York Exchange went one step further with the third rhyme, and the Pawtucket Times took over from there.

Click through to read the limericks here

As I grew up in Pawtucket (yes, really), I needed no further inspiration:

There once was a lad from Pawtucket
who now had to rhyme with suck it
but he did not dare
as he did not swear
so he found a way to duck it

Can we use this to help our digital learning here at JJL? I thought I'd try

There once was a lady from Hawaii
Who inspired a Ho’ohana community
To review good books
Share their learning with hooks
And spread the word from sea to sea

Yes, some literary license was exercised there as rhymes with Hawaii are limited.

I realized that you can do more with Australia:

There were two ladies from Australia
who have some good ideas to persuade ya
to save your Christmas sanity
and avoid holiday calamity
go visit their site without delay ya!

And I'll leave it up to you to be creative. 

Find some time this month, try a rhyme!

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Digital resources:

Wikipedia on limericks

One of many rhyming dictionaries available free online.
I like this one because if it does not find a rhyme for you (as occurred with Hawaii), it also gives you a link to where you can find words that end with similar letters.

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Steve Sherlock writes his 2 cents exploring the "good experience", "life long learning" and life in general, after handling the "before you blog" list his wonderful wife Dolores  provides him. Together, they are enjoying the empty nest while their daughters are away at college. His sherku and other poetry can be found at quiet poet. More information about his current home town of Franklin, MA can be found at Franklin Matters

Comments

[Joanna Young]

Fantastic Steve! I love the limericks and I'm sure your JJL colleagues will be ehmm... thrilled :-)

I'll see if I can come up with any more.

The combination of sherku + sense of place for the railway stops is great. I'm glad they got picked up.

Joanna

[Steve Sherlock]

did I mention

One aspect of limericks, they tend toward obscene
Here at JJL we will not do that scene
But still have a ball
Showing respect for all
By keeping our lyrics clean

Honk! Honk!

[Joanna Young]

Okay Steve, here goes.

Thanks for the inspiration. This one's for you.

"There once was a poet from Franklin
Who found form was starting to rankle 'im
So he took a haiku
And then added two
Now his 'lines' have gone straight up the rankings!"

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

Steve, while I am momentarily uninspired and within limerick-loss, I do love some of the other learning links you have shared here! Poem in your Pocket is fabulous, and I will be visiting http://www.onelook.com/ often - first I have heard of that site.

Great job with your limerick Joanna! - and with the one you added in the comments Steve :)

[Steve Sherlock]

Thanks, Joanna!
I should post an official literary license so we can all take advantage of it.

Thanks, Rosa!
I have more limericks in the works. This field has so much potential!

[Karen Wallace]

Oh my goodness! Not only sherkus but limericks too... will it never end?

Seriously, Steve, I have never had a poem written about me before (let alone a limerick!) and to have one written by the famous poet from Franklin is an honour indeed! Ya.

You really are talented and we are so very priviledged to have you share your wonderful talent with us here at JJL. Thank you.

I'm off to follow a rhyming white rabbit down another trail...

[Chris Owen]

Steve
I'm still chuckling!
I'm so glad Ostrailya gave you such limerick-inspiration!
And like Karen I don't think I've ever had a poem written about me either. Let alone a limerick. And for a girl with Irish blood running into her veins on all sides it's a REAL TREAT!
Keep em coming!

[Steve Sherlock]

Chris, Karen, thank you! I have tended to play it straight after learning that not everyone appreciates my humor. I also avoided rhyming on principle. I guess I won't avoid either of those as much now, just be careful when and how I use them. All in moderation as they say.

There once was a lady from Franklin
Who trained into Boston to do banking
But when she got there
she spent it on her hair
and returned all shiny and swanking

Enjoy!