[Roger Slater]

I just thought of the quatrain itself as being the "form." A limerick minus line 2, in other words. You can always reuse first lines (there are countless young girls from Nantucket in limerick lore, for example), but I don't know why that should be built into the form's definition.

Let's decide what the "form" is and then maybe I'll pitch it to Pat. Or you can pitch it yourself, of course, since she always credits the "idea" person by name in the newspaper, with all the attendant glory.

[Brian Allgar]

(When I first read Martin's pieces, I failed to notice the political aspect. Here are a couple that may be more on target.)

In Wile E. Coyote reality
Iran will be crushed
And its President mushed
By a strike of pre-emptive finality.

In Wile E. Coyote reality
Forty-seven percent
Pay no tax, and their rent
Is a handout from Dem liberality.

[Susan d.S.]

Some that stay closer to the cartoon character (whom I love!).

In Wile E. Coyote reality,
although I'm scared witless,
I'm never scared shitless.
My body lacks any anality.

In Wile E. Coyote reality,
I live among rocks
that lack any stocks,
but offer complete hospitality.

In Wile E. Coyote reality,
I live off the air
and have nothing to share,
but thrive in the barest frugality.

In Wile E. Coyote reality,
I lift up a rock
as though it's a crock,
despite absence of marked muscularity.

In Wile E. Coyote reality,
in re-runs I run
until time is done,
not seeming to lose singularity.

[Seree Zohar]

In Wile E Coyote reality,
with women in binders
the men need no blinders.
All hail the new psychologicality.

[Jan D. Hodge]

In Wile E. Coyote reality,
the Office is birthright
to rich, smug, and white,
and facts are the merest banality.

[Jan D. Hodge]

In Wile E. Coyote reality,
all color is green
and honesty's seen
as a symptom of irrationality.

In Wile E. Coyote reality
the way to accession
is voter suppression,
a craftily plotted modality.

In Wile E. Coyote reality
the thugs are in charge
and bully writ large
is enough to unbalance normality.

[Martin Rocek]

Brian (again), Susan d.S., Seree, Jan, and Jan,
thanks for participating--great fun!

Bob (Roger) how about this description:
A quatrain version of a limerick (lacking the
second line); several quatrains may be strung
together into a longer poem, and the first line
may be used as a repetend.

I haven't "had any ink", so you should pitch it
to Pat. I'm happy to let you have the glory.

Thanks again all!
Martin

[Gail White]

In Wile E. Coyote reality
one can always escape
conception from rape
by noting its impracticality.

[Carolyn Thomas-Coxhead]

Here's a timid offer:

In Wile E. Coyote reality
My garden plants thrive
Bean, beetroot and chive:
No trace of bugs or abnormality.

My First Post. Hope it won't be my Last.

[Chris O'Carroll]

Originally Posted by Carolyn Thomas-Coxhead

In Wile E. Coyote reality
My garden plants thrive
Bean, beetroot and chive:
No trace of bugs or abnormality.

My First Post. Hope it won't be my Last.

You are not alone in hoping that. A number of us have been admiring and envying your winning entries in various competitions -- your recent author's bio of "Ms Waugh," for example.