Limericks about Origins

Where did we come from and where are we going? What causes me to write limericks with an obsessive single-mindedness? And why a series of limericks about origins and beginnings?

If you’ve ever stopped and wondered “why?”, then you’ve probably concluded, on more than one occasion, that A was caused by B. Life as we know it is a kind of network of causes and effects. And over time, these causes and effects seem to bind the universe together.

Sometimes you can just let your mind wander, and drift from thought to thought. And eventually you ask, “How did I get to thinking about THIS?” Well, if you concentrate, you can often trace your stream of consciousness back, step by step, to an original thought from which you mindlessly pivoted. It can be a fun exercise, especially for those plagued by insomnia.

Another provocative thought exercise is to consider the origin of the cosmos. Unless time and space are infinite, which is too hard to think about, because it just causes too many problems and paradoxes, then there has to be a beginning. But when you get to thinking about the first cause, then you have an event with no cause of its own. And THIS is the conundrum that causes me to write limericks about origins and creation.

     Giver of Life
     Close your eyes for a moment and pause
     Removing yourself from the physical laws
               Imagine your tomb
               Like a watery womb
     And embrace Mother Earth, the original cause

     Out of Chaos
     The cosmos arose from a drop in a pail
     Chaotic conflation of woman and male
               No beginning or end
               An ambiguous blend
     Remember Ouroboros eating its tail

     Diluvial Legends
     From out of antiquity, flood waters rise
     A deluge of knowledge, an awful surprise
               The wave of compunction
               A holy injunction
     Come see where the seabed of consciousness lies

     Speculative Mysticism
     The source of existence deserves to be sought
     It’s something I’ve stewed on and chewed on a lot
               From nothing we sprang
               Like a nebulous bang
     From the great mind of God we appeared like a thought

     The Original Adventure
     Remember the spiral that brought you to light
     Pulling you down in a moment of fright
               And casting all doubt
               You clawed your way out
     By venturing forth from the black womb of night

     The Great Chain of Causes
     What can we know, and how can we know it?
     The original cause, I would like you to show it
               Your logic’s proficient
               But is reason sufficient?
     For every sensation has something below it

Further Reading

If you enjoyed these Limericks about origins and causes and effects, then be sure to check out some of my other poetry.

• Limericks about the Garden of Eden
• Limericks about Unity
• Limericks about Existentialism
• Metaphysical Poetry
• What is a limerick?