There once was a man with no hair

From June 15th, Limerick-Off
1st line provided: "There once was a man with no hair"


There once was a man with no hair
Who grafted sea-otter fur in despair
Now with long flowing tresses
His delight he expresses
Balancing beach balls while standing on a chair!


P.S. When I looked on the internet, I discovered that the sea-otter may be the harriest mammal on earth. With 150,000 strands of hair per sq. centimeter, its fur is the most dense of any animal. Hence the inspiration for above.

Limerick-Off - Week of June 8th

Here are my contributions to a "limerick-off" created by Madeleine Kane

There once was a government clerk
Who was known to brag with a smirk
He'd pompously proclaim
"Sloth isn't my aim,
To shirk work, is simply a quirk."



There once was a woman named June
Went skinny-dipping on a hot afternoon,
Such a feeling sublime!
She lost track of time
When she emerged, she looked like a prune.

The Lament of Ma Cheng

"Any Tom, Dick or Harry" refers to an unspecified person. The equivalent in China is "some Zhang, some Li".

At last count, there are 92 million Wangs, followed by 91 million Li's and 86 million Zhangs in China.

The grandfather of our protagonist, Ma Cheng, found a rare character for her name - so rare that once people see it, they remember her and her name.

However, the Chinese government says "Name not on our list, Change it" ( see New York Times article here)

I was inspired to write an original limerick. Hence,

THE LAMENT OF MA CHENG

In a vast land, where millions are called the same
An original solution, this problem overcame
I stood out as a character special
But it irks the system judicial
To be listed as someone, I need to change my name!

Steel and Ink

Steel and ink
Just feel, don't think
The line will turn
The blood will run
A heart rise, an impression sink.

Ink and steel
Just think, don't feel
The line will turn
The blood will run
A mind open, the skin seal.

For Matt S, of Analog.

The Year of The Ox

Hurry, get the firecrackers out of the box
Get dressed, don't forget the red socks.
With hard work we won't falter,
Let's hope this year to prosper
Come, let's welcome the Year of The Ox.

Happy Chinese New Year.