W3 challenge
Bob
A Limerick and Kyoka cross paths.
There once was a fella named Bob,
Who thought he was wise for the job
He started to brag,
Then opened the bag,
But shamed himself at the hobnob.
sullen and cranky
he ripped open the chip bag
chips flew in the air
hurling the bag to the ground
he smashed all the chips he found
Kaci Rigney Copyright 2026
Reena’s prompt: East meets West
For this week’s W3 challenge, writers are invited to combine one Western poetic form with one Japanese poetic form. You may choose any one of the following combinations.
1. Cinquain + Haiku
Cinquain follows the syllabic structure of 2, 4, 6, 8, 2.
Haiku may follow any of the following syllabic structures:
- 3, 5, 3
- 5, 7, 5
- Short, long, short
Both parts should either reflect the same theme, or the second part may overturn the first with a shift in mood. However, they should remain connected in some way and not read like two separate poems.
2. Shadorma Haibun
Haibun is tightly written prose, preferably nonfiction, written in first person. Replace the haiku in this format with a shadorma, and feel free to vary its placement.
You may place the shadorma at the beginning, middle, or end.
Shadorma follows the syllabic structure of 3, 5, 3, 3, 7, 5.
3. Limerick + Kyōka
Limerick is a light-hearted five-line verse with the rhyme scheme AABBA.
Kyōka is a playful Japanese verse form with the syllabic structure 5, 7, 5, 7, 7. You may use the following progression as a guide:
- Line 1: exaggerated detail
- Line 2: satirical twist
- Line 3: playful commentary
- Line 4: mocking reflection
- Line 5: comic conclusion
4. Poet’s choice
If you think you can do better by combining other Western and Japanese forms, feel free to experiment. Just let us know the names and syllabic structures of the forms you chose.
hi, Kaci❣️
Just wanna let you know that this week’s W3, hosted by our beloved Artie, is now live until Monday:
https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/06/10/w3-prompt-215-weave-written-weekly/
Much love,
David
Thank you, David. 🤗
🤗
Kaci, I love how you mixed a funny limerick with a dramatic kyoka to show Bob’s wild chip explosion in two totally different ways 😄
Much love,
David
Thanks so much, David. I feel like, after the limerick, the rhythm change is so different. But the story really changes there too. So maybe it’s a good fit.
Much love back to you,
Kaci
We’re always our own worst critics!
True that!
Kaci, well done on your poems. 👏 I think Bob needs some anger management, lol😁
Yep. Guy’s a hothead! LOL
Bob has a volatile temper! I hope that didn’t sink his job prospects!
Right?? LOL
Hilarious! These are not easy-to-do formats, but you excelled at both.
Thank you, Reena!
Well that was fun! 🤩
It was! Thanks! 😊
Loved this. I’m such a sucker for limericks, but your poems work so well together. The picture is perfect too!
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it!