Well, the word ‘runcible’ [Runcible - Wikipedia] has no specific meaning, it was made up by Edward Lear.
As limericks are traditionally nonsense poems, the best ones here get the Runcible award.
Judging criteria: humour, structure, and being topical ( in our case, Dhamma/ Buddhism related)
Great minds, eh? Okay so I found this at the same time you did:
"Runcible " is a nonsense word invented by Edward Lear. The word appears (as an adjective) several times in his works, most famously as the "runcible spoon " used by the Owl and the Pussycat.[1] The word “runcible” was apparently one of Lear’s favourite inventions, appearing in several of his works in reference to a number of different objects. In his verse self-portrait, The Self-Portrait of the Laureate of Nonsense , it is noted that "he weareth a runcible hat ".[[2]]
(Runcible - Wikipedia) Other poems include mention of a "runcible cat ",[3] a "runcible goose " (in the sense of “silly person”),[4] and a "runcible wall "
Now I know that I still don’t know.
" (RUHN-suh-buhl)
MEANING:
noun: A utensil that is a combination of a fork and spoon. Also known as a spork.
adjective: Shaped like a combination fork and spoon.
ETYMOLOGY:
Coined as a nonsense word by the poet Edward Lear (1812-1888) in 1871.
NOTES:
A runcible or spork is the love child of a spoon + fork, but that’s not what the word meant in the beginning. Edward Lear coined the word in the poem “The Owl and the Pussycat”:
They dined on mince, and slices of quince
Which they ate with a runcible spoon
What runcible meant was left to the imagination of the reader. Lear later used the same word to describe other things: cat, hat, goose, and wall. Eventually, the word took the sense of a spoon that can do the job of both a fork and a spoon.
If a spoon and a fork mate to give birth to a runcible or spork, what happens when other pieces of cutlery get together? Luis Giles has done the analysis.
USAGE:
“Hello, we said, to the beautiful dark starlit bar and the luxury therein: the runcible spoons with their slippery cargo: the snarled silk of tinned bean sprout, the wrinkled flame of the dried lily.”
Lynn Emanuel; The Dig and Hotel Fiesta; University of Illinois Press; 1994."
Thanks for the education!
It pays to be kind to sentient beings,
Spread metta to seen and unseen things.
If trouble should befall,
Good kamma will come call,
And gift you with strength for happy endings.
You nonsense limerick people are definitely not encouraged to submit your “poems” for this VERY SERIOUS poetry event.
There once was a Buddhist named Sharon
Whose renunciate flat was quite barren
She had one pair of socks only
And often felt lonely
So borrowed quite often from Karen.
There once was a Masque
That many took to task
Wear it yes!
Wear it not!
“Is this clinging to die for?”, we ask.
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This limerick has been Awarded a Runcible Award by @Ficus
Once at the end of the world
Two monks a vihara unfurled
One wanted a cat
The other none of that
Under robe the cat silently curled.
“Oh my goodness!”, says the Brahmā,
“the Buddha wants not teach the Dhamma!”
The world, is it lost?
Not at all cost—
convinced is the Buddha by good old Brahmā.
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This limerick has been Awarded a Runcible Award by @Ficus
There was a bhikkhuni named Canda
And a monk who wanted to ban her.
“Garudhamma!” he cried.
“So what?” she replied,
And took to his head a hammer.
You actually had me puzzling to find the EBT reference. And then.
Thank you. That was quite lovely.
I couldn’t find a peaceful resolution to the limerick so I just had her knock him out
She’s a lovely nun who heavily draws inspiration from Ajahn Brahm whom I recently discovered thanks to the YouTube suggestions algorithm. They’re trying to establish the first Theravada bhikkhuni monastery in the UK. Hope she never reads this!
Love the Haiku, @SlightlyMad!
But to change the violent end
Would you consider something like:
There was a bhikkhuni named Canda
And a monk who wanted to ban her.
“Garudhamma!” he cried.
“So what?” she replied,
And sat in equanimous manner.
That is definitely less violent, but also a bit more dour. Wonder if we could inject some levity here without resorting to “hammer meets shiny head”.
Yes, I did go rather generic to get a non-violent rhyme. Levity without slapstick… Hmmm…
You could author a commentary explaining that it was in fact a toy hammer!
I quite like that! Commentary to the rescue.
Yep, the Buddhists studying these limericks 2600 years from now will appreciate the retcon commentary!
Once a runcible suffering quite bad
had an origin that was just so sad.
But wait how it went:
This suffering had an end—
and the path these eight factors had!
This suffering’s end, where to find?
You may think: “I’ll be perhaps kind.”
Ethics: pure!
Immersion? Sure!
And wisdom will come to your mind.
Of suffering an old truth there is,
and craving the origin of this.
An end to it? Yes!
This eight-path, I guess.
Know these four noble truths: that is bliss!
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This limerick has been Awarded a Runcible Award by @Ficus