Writing Prompt

Pier 21 Prompts

Second prompt: Nautical Limerick

Hello, everyone! It’s February 21, which means I can reveal our second monthly prompt in the series Pier 21 Prompts.

Does it feel like spring yet where you live? In Germany, we’ve been seeing warmer and wetter days in which the daffodils and crocusses are rising up from their wintry beds. It’s a welcome sign that spring is on its way.

I’m not exactly sure why, but I’ve always associated the limerick with spring. Maybe it’s because of this poem’s typical upbeat rhythm or the humor that’s often involved. Limericks just feel light to me and I experience this feeling of lightness when I can finally stop wearing my heavy winter coat everywhere and the sun doesn’t go down at 5 PM.

With only five lines, limericks follow an AABBA rhyme pattern. Here’s one by Oliver Herford (1860–1935) that I quite enjoy:

There was a young lady of Twickenham Whose shoes were too tight to walk quick in ’em. She came back from a walk Looking whiter than chalk And took ’em both off and was sick in ’em.

So, I’d love to read some limericks from you, specifically limericks with a nautical theme.

You can choose to write one or multiple, as a set or separately. You can combine poetry and narrative. I particularly love the way that Doodleslice does this:

We also had some lovely responses to our first Pier 21 Prompt on “Reunion.”

Simon Jung personifies the complex relationship to alcohol in this intriguing poem:

Flaminia D. shares a beautiful personal essay about being reunited with a beloved character from a children’s book:

Please use the tag ‘Writing Prompt Response’ or ‘Prompt’ and, the type of submission ‘Poetry/Limerick’.

Please be sure to include a link to this post at the bottom of your submission so other people can find the prompt!

I look forward to your responses. I will post my own limerick in a separate story this week.

Calling our writers:

Robert Mann, Janaka Stagnaro, Light and Paper, Ravi C, LaLa Artica ✿Indie Maker✿, Kimberley Abraham, Monica G, Ruth Boukhari, Michael Vorhis, Ryan Hecker, Simon, Sam David Parker🌸, Sofja.to, Tara Zoë Roshe, Valentine Anytime, Theodore McDowell, Samantha Hellmann, Lay Low Magazine, Tales of Zainab: A Perpetually Tired Housewife, Sarah Lazarz, Anushree Bose, J B Ferguson, Felipe Leon U., Chelsea Nelthropp, Archer Reynolds, D Beasley, eidolonsstuff