The limerick packs laughs anatomical
In space that is quite economical,
But the good ones I've seen
So seldom are clean,
And the clean ones so seldom are comical.
This is not my own, but it tells it how it is. Edward Lear, supposedly the king of limericks, wrote limericks that were very clean and not at all funny, not least because the last line was always the same as the firs; rather like bginning as well as ending a joke with the punchline.
The reason we live in Devizes is all about limericks.We wanted to live somewhere in Wiltshire, and we went to look at Devizes because I'd heard all those rude limericks, and was curious to see what the actual place was like. Look away now if you are of a delicate disposition.
There was a young man of Devizes
Whose balls were of different sizes.
His tool, when at ease,
Hung down to his knees,
But oh! What a joy when it rises!
See what I mean? (Devizes, incidentally, is wonderful).
Having said that, my favourite limerick of all time is this. Goodness knows why. You probably won't like it at all. Humour, even in limericks, is very subjective.
There was a young man of St. Bees
Who was terribly stung by a wasp.
When they asked "does it hurt?"
He replied, "yes, it does.
It's a good job it wasn't a hornet."
And now for a competition. Post a limerick, any kind, and there will be a prize for the best. I'm afraid the prize will be a copy of one of my books, but you can always give it away if you don't want it!
