Archive for the ‘Memory Humor’ Category
Saturday, May 12th, 2012
It’s Limerick-Off time, once again. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.
The best submission will be crowned Limerick Of The Week. (Here’s last week’s Limerick Of The Week Winner.)
How will your poems be judged? By meter, rhyme, cleverness, and humor. (If you’re feeling a bit fuzzy about limerick writing rules, here’s my How To Write A Limerick article.)
I’ll announce the Limerick of the Week Winner right before I post next week’s Limerick-Off. So that gives you a full week to submit your clever, polished verse.
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A gal in an overpriced store…*
or
A man in an overpriced store…*
*(Minor variations to my first lines are acceptable, but rhyme words may not be altered.)
Here’s my limerick:
Overpriced Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A gal in an overpriced store,
Who’d completely forgotten what for,
Told the clerk, “Can’t recall
Why I came here at all.
Just as well. If I could, I’d be poor.”
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 on my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please email Madkane@MadKane.com Subject: MadKane’s Newsletter. Thanks!
Tags: Brain Humor, Limerick Contest, Memory Limerick, Money Verse, Poetry & Prompts, Shopping Humor, Stores Limerick, Writing Prompts
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Contests, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick Contest, Limerick Writing Contest, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Memory Humor, Mental Health Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Contest, Shopping Humor | 72 Comments »
Thursday, April 21st, 2011
Digital Impasse
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My brain is packed with secret codes
To access all my stuff,
Like bank accounts and sundry cards.
Recalling them is rough.
I pay my bills online and need
A PIN for each of those.
My website has a password too,
Protecting verse and prose.
These letters, numbers, symbols mix
In ways to stave off theft.
We’re warned to make them quite complex,
Defeating hackers deft.
We’re also cautioned, “Vary them.
Don’t make your codes the same.
A thief gets hold of only one —
You’re screwed and you’re to blame.”
So ciphers clutter up my mind.
I dare not write them down.
With paper bearing secrets dear,
A thief could go to town.
I’m forced to hide them in my brain —
A codified morass,
Despite my fear that one day soon
They’ll flee my mind en masse.
(Prompted by secrets at Poets United.)
Tags: Banking Humor, Bill Paying Poem, Brain Humor, Codes, Computer Humor, Computer Security, Cyber Crime, Hacker Humor, Memory, Online Humor, Passwords Humor, Privacy Humor, Secrets, Technology Verse, Theft
Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Computer Humor, Crime & Punishment Humor, Internet Humor, Memory Humor, Privacy Satire, Technology Humor | 28 Comments »
Sunday, March 27th, 2011
Left brain or right brain —
Which am I? The one, I fear,
that can’t remember.
*****
Creative options
seem nearly unlimited —
overwhelmed, I freeze.
*****
(The 2nd haiku was prompted by Writer’s Island’s unlimited and Sunday Scribblings’ nearly.)
Tags: Brain Humor, Creativity, Haiku & Senryu, Left Brained, Memory, Mental Health Satire, Right Brained
Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Creativity Verse, Haiku & Senryu, Memory Humor, Mental Health Humor | 15 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 »
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
Secret Cache
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A fellow had a secret cache
of coins and stamps and gold.
He planned to sell it off one day
when he became quite old.
That time did come for him at last—
age ninety-three or more.
Alas, he’d thrown his cache box out—
forgot what it was for.
(You can find more of my bad memory humor here. And check out the secret prompt over at Writer’s Island)
Tags: Aging Humor & Verse, Coin Collecting, Collectibles, Forgetfulness, Memory, Money Verse, Secrets, Seniors Humor, Stamp Collections
Posted in Aging Humor & Verse, Behavior & Personality, Memory Humor, Mental Health Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Seniors Poetry | 16 Comments »
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011
Feverish hostess
serves chickpeas dropped on the floor—
a guest spills the beans.
*****
Sick party-goer
coughs and sneezes on buffet—
chilly reception.
*****
The corner bakeshop
seems a buttery temptress,
but smells can deceive.
Pastries seduce, disappoint—
buttery temptress no more.
*****
My first memory:
the sound and the vibration
of a freight train’s roar.
Budding logic says, “Can’t be.”
Sensed pre-birth within the womb?
*****
(My second haiku was inspired by Haiku Heights’ cold prompt. My first memory tanka was inspired by Free Write Fridays and Monday Memories.)
Tags: Bakery, Food Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Health & Medical Humor, Hostess Haiku, Illness Haiku, Memory, Party Humor, Pastries, Pre-Birth, Tanka, Trains
Posted in Entertainment Humor, Food & Drink Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Health & Medical Humor, Health Verse, Memory Humor, Tanka | 13 Comments »
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
My memory is so bad, that when I spotted the upcoming memory prompt at Haiku Heights I forgot the obvious — that the prompt was for haiku. Ah well, here’s my Bad Memory Limerick:
Bad Memory Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My mem’ry is bad — getting worse.
It’s a failing I constantly curse.
I forget what I’ve done,
People’s names, whom to shun.
Now what was the theme of this verse?
(For those who can actually remember something, here’s a spot to post your memories in verse.)
Tags: Aging Limerick, Forgetfulness, Memory Limerick, Mental Health Satire, Poetry Prompt, Remembering Names, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Aging Humor & Verse, Behavior & Personality, Health & Medical Humor, Health Verse, Light Verse, Limericks, Memory Humor, Mental Health Humor, Poetry & Prompts | 10 Comments »
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this as a first line:
“An elderly fellow named James…”
Here’s mine:
Endearing Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
An elderly fellow named James
Had trouble remembering names,
So he often used “dear,”
Which hurt his career.
His defense? “I just did it to dames.”
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: Age Humor, Career Poem, Feminist Humor, Poetry Prompt, Remembering Names, Writing Prompts
Posted in Aging Humor & Verse, Battle of the Sexes, Behavior & Personality, Communication Humor, Feminist Satire, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Memory Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Workplace & Career Humor | 17 Comments »
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
Dim-Witted Driver (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A dim-witted driver named Ed
Often finds that his battery’s dead.
He’s forgetful most nights
And he leaves on the lights.
That’s why Edward is no longer wed.
As always, please feel free to write your own limerick, using the same first line, and post it in my comments and/or on my Facebook post.
Note: My husband Mark is a frequent source of dead battery-inspired humor, including these two humor columns: Tow Guy Blues and False Alarm. Thus far, however, we remain married. In fact tomorrow’s our 31st wedding anniversary.
UPDATE: Happy National Battery Day (celebrated yearly on February 18th, in honor of physicist Alessandro Volta’s birthday.)
UPDATE 2: Check Your Batteries Day falls on the second Sunday in March.
Tags: Absent-Minded, Alessandro Volta, Automobiles, Battery, Cars, Check Your Batteries Day, Drivers, February Holidays, Husbands, Lights, Limericks, March Holidays, Marriage, National Battery Day, Odd Holidays, Physicists, Science Verse, Writing Prompts
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Car & Driving Humor, Family & Relatives Humor, Family Verse, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Marriage Humor, Memory Humor, Odd Holidays, Poetry & Prompts | 8 Comments »
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 »
Monday, May 5th, 2008
Ode To An Absent-Minded Husband
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Your umbrella can not have gone far.
Can’t believe how forgetful you are!
If we still had each cent
On umbrellas you’ve spent,
We’d have money to buy a new car.
Thanks to Simply Snickers for the “umbrella” prompt, Weekend Wordsmith for the “torrential rain” prompt, and Sunday Scribblings for its “family” prompt.
UPDATE: I’ve just learned that National Umbrella Day is celebrated yearly on February 10th.
Tags: Absent-Minded, Car Limerick, Family, February Holidays, Gas Prices, Husband Humor, Marriage Verse, Money Poems, National Umbrella Day, Odd Holidays, Relationships Poetry, Weather Poem
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Car & Driving Humor, Family & Relatives Humor, Limericks, Marriage Humor, Memory Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Odd Holidays, Outdoors Humor, Relationship Humor, Weather Humor | 9 Comments »
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
Before I get to today’s limerick and haiku theme, I want to thank you for the many kind comments and emails concerning my father’s death. I was very touched by your thoughtfulness.
My latest limerick and haiku prompt topic is absent-mindedness and memory. First, my limerick:
“Please help me! I really need aid,”
Said a lady who looked quite afraid.
“Seems I can’t find my purse,
And, perhaps, even worse
It appears that my maid’s been mislaid.”
And now, my haiku:
Memorized data—
Still there, but hard to access.
Mulltiple choice brain.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write a limerick or haiku (or both) about absent-mindedness and/or memory. When you’ve posted your verse, please return here and add a direct link to your themed poetry.
If you want to keep up to date with my poetry prompts, you can subscribe to either my entire blog feed or just to my limerick and haiku prompt topic feed.
Tags: Absent-Minded, Behavior Humor, Brain Humor, Memory Limerick, Personality Humor
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Haiku & Senryu, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limericks, Memory Humor, Mental Health Humor | 8 Comments »
