Seafaring Limerick Competition 2012

With sailors well renowned for waxing lyrical about their experiences at sea, The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is hoping to embrace this inherent love of linguistic creativity by launching a national limerick competition to find the best seafaring poem in celebration of life at sea.

The inaugural Seafaring Limerick Competition will be judged by the Bard of Barnsley and renowned English poet Ian McMillan, ahead of World Poetry Day on 21 March. (Photo courtesy of Kippa Matthews).

McMillan, who is poet-in-residence for English National Opera and a regular on Have I Got News For You? has strong maritime connections, with his father having served in the Royal Navy.

Participants are being encouraged to pen a five line poem about the ocean and the men and women who dedicate their lives to working at sea, and all the challenges this entails.

The following limerick may provide budding bards with inspiration for their entry.

I caught a big crab on my line,

they said: “Hold it up,” I said: “Fine”

But then I yelled “Ow!”

And look at me now:

if you count my fingers – there’s nine!

To enter the competition visit the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society Facebook page, like the page and post your entry. If you do not have a Facebook profile please email your poems to jenc@acceleris-mc.com. 

The competition is to write an original poem on a maritime subject in limerick form consisting of no more than five lines and with the first, second and fifth usually rhyming.

 The deadline for entry is 5pm on Friday 9 March and the charity is offering an engraved barometer and video recording of the winning poem read by Ian McMillan as a prize.

The society will have publishing/reproduction rights for all entries.

If you like poetry you may also be interested in the Society's 'Sunset and Evening Star Vol. 11', a volume of favourite poems, thoughts and quotations to comfort and inspire. Click here for details.