I began this blog in late July, 2011. It has been a joy to read the limericks posted by you followers and your often-hilarious comments to mine. I hope I've provided you with entertainment through some of my better ones.
However, in reading back over my offerings of the past few months, I've found them not as fresh as many from earlier. Some have been too contrived to qualify as "good ones." I also notice that my mind isn't latching onto unusual words (for rhyming) heard in conversation, on radio, or TV as it used to. The wheels don't automatically start turning. When I try to start that engine myself, I can tell that the resultant five-liner isn't "worthy", but I post it anyway just to keep the blog active.
The drop in quality has resulted in a drop in daily visits. Site visits stayed above 20/day for the first two years. Since Nov.1, they've averaged around 8, attributable in large part to my deteriorating quality. This will be my last "regularly-scheduled" posting. If the muse returns and I create one worth sharing, I will, but this may happen only sporadically.
Thanks so much for supporting me these past 28+ months and do check back at least fortnightly. Maybe a few good ones will have sprung to life!
Nearly daily I've posted a limerick
And when good, just like jewels they've sat shimmerick
But I'm getting too old
Think my tent I will fold
For my readers have all gone a'glimmerick.
Well, I guess we followers have suspected this decision might be coming since reading your statement following #1203. I empathize with your ethic of high standard in your art and understand that removing yourself from the daily obligation to produce “something” may seem a boon to both you the author and us the readers. But let me remind you that even Gershon Legman in "The Limerick" had only about a 10% zinger-to-unexceptional rate among his offerings, and he was collecting and editing limericks for publication, not writing them. Yet I (abominably?) enjoy reading most of his 90%.
ReplyDeleteMr. Limericist, if you do adopt a “Best of” mode at this blog, I believe I will mostly miss your frequent ruminations on living or whatever struck your fancy that day, as recently expressed in numbers 1179, 1191, 1195, 1197, 1200, 1204, 1205, 1207, 1212 and 1213. And how many of this list of smile-bringers—1196, 1198, 1202, 1203, 1206 and 1211—would you deem unworthy of a post under your new standard?
Of course it’s easy for me to encourage your enterprise having no neuron-equity in its production. May I suggest that you keep a separate, private notebook of “lesser” efforts and partial musings that some day may be transformed into “keepers.” I also imagine that fellow readers “Boulderite” and “Amanda B. Reckonedwith” would counsel that a complete absence of any writing regimen would almost guarantee a diminution of visitations by Erato and her sibs. And please don’t go all “Alan Hovhaness” on us with your Delete button!