The City of Austin’s O. Henry Museum announces an open call to writers to submit original limericks that pertain to Austin or Texas for their annual Lone Star Limericks online writing competition. The competition is free and open to the public. Writers of all ages are welcome, and each winner will receive a Texas-themed prize package and an invitation to a special in-person reception honoring the top submissions, voted on by the public. Submissions can be in video, image, or text form. Submit original limericks from July 1 through July 20 via our portal that will be announced July 1. 

From July 21 through July 30, the public will be able to view a gallery of all submissions and vote for their favorite limericks online. Categories include first, second, and third places and two honorable mentions. On July 31, winners will be announced. 

Want to rhyme but don’t have much time? Try a limerick! This five-line poem with a rollicking rhythm and an AABBA rhyme scheme may be short, but poets from Edward Lear to the young William Sidney Porter have packed plenty of wit, whimsy, and wordplay into a small package. Although some sources trace limericks back to medieval monasteries or the verse insults swapped by squabbling Irish poets in the 18th century, they took on their current name and form in the second half of the 19th century. Sometimes bawdy but snippy, witty, and–usually–a lot of fun.

Now it’s your turn! Pay tribute to this great city and state's people, places, sights, and sounds by immortalizing (or gently mocking) them in verse! Your limerick can reference anything about Texas or Austin–your favorite (or least favorite) Texas person, city or state park, wildflower, animal, road trip experience, barbeque joint, I-35 exit, debilitating allergen–the sky’s the limit! Just keep it short, snappy, and family-friendly!