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Before the rise of blatant vulgarity, the five-line limerick was a genre for nursery rhymes and child’s play. Now, as the world teeters on the verge of political implosion and social collapse, I think it’s time to reclaim the limerick as a force for good, a tool for contemplation and inspiration.
The following series of inspiring limericks will prove that a limerick can do much more than tell a dirty joke and make a Sunday school teacher blush. These short, punchy poems have the power deliver a quick message, reaching those with even the shortest of attention spans.
Without the haughty pretense of an e. e. cummings poem or a John Donne meditation, an inspiring limerick can raise a point, draw contradiction and arrive at a conclusion in fewer than 47 syllables. The rolling meter and rhyming punchline never fail to keep the reader smiling. And yet the limerick can touch on themes as thoughtful and profound as anything approached by Rudyard Kipling or Omar Khayyam.
Intensive Purposes
This world gives me cause to be curious
For the meaning of life is mysterious
That we even exist
Makes it hard to resist
The belief that our purpose is serious
Come and get it
The future is coming, approaching as planned
Erasing the present like words in the sand
But remember your dreams
Resolve the extremes
And the wisdom of life shall be at your command
Amor Fati
There once was a hole but my hope has now filled it
My cup swims with joy even after I’ve spilled it
Your faith too can grow
Just as soon as you go
From believing “it is” to believing “I willed it”
Cosmic Connections
In heaven our spirits connect and converge
On earth we express an analogous urge
Our souls understand it
Our bodies demand it
Separate but equally yearning to merge
Going for the One
Straighten your mizzen and steady your oar
Set sail for the hub of your centermost core
Arrive at the middle
Unravel the riddle
Return to the One and debark on the shore
Gratitude
Give ears to the finch when she sings
Turn away from the ants and bee stings
Focus your mind
On what’s lovely and kind
And give thanks as you dwell on these things
In Grace We Trust
There’s a delicate balance that ought to be struck
B’tween counting your blessings and pressing your luck
Keep God on your side
But be watchful of pride
And bend yourself down without losing your pluck
The Pearl
Consider the oyster who labors and strains
Nagged by a nuisance of trifling grains
Like a bug in your stew
Or a stone in your shoe
Transformed in a process for personal gains
Kismet
The Hidden One knows there’s a purpose for you
So pay close attention and watch for the clue
The signs on the road
Your own secret code
Now don’t disappoint her whatever you do
Be Here Now
The past and the future are one and the same
To believe otherwise is a short-sighted game
Outside of uncertainty
Now is eternity
Drawn by a pure and perpetual flame
In the Cave
There once was a tunnel that led underground
So I crept underneath without making a sound
And plunging below
My conscience let go
So my Self in the dark dusty depths could be found
Further Reading
If you enjoyed these inspiring limericks, please consider sharing the post or subscribing to the blog. You might also want to check out some of these popular articles:
- Limericks about Reference Books
- Limericks about Dostoyevsky
- The History of Limericks
- Serious Limericks: There once was an unsmiling rhymer
