O wretched child, what hast thou wrought
with all the Lego that I bought?
‘Tis strewn around as thou canst see
dear Mother, why prevail on me?
O turbulent sprite, scratched new CD’s
hast thou lost the case for these?
My filing system, sweet mother mine
though quite novel, suits just fine.
O naughty pixie, books all tattered,
look the spine is broken, battered.
It proves I read them, darling mum
and don’t just sit here on my thumbs.
04
title edit 19.07.09
Comments
whiskey | July 18, 2009 - 12:05
Well, I suppose the child has a point, lol!
lenchenelf | July 18, 2009 - 12:10
Exactly :-)) If toys & books are to stay on shelves, why buy them ?
atb lena
Ewan | July 18, 2009 - 12:14
I liked the echoes of Belloc and De La Mare; all those cautionary verses that used to be read to glum-faced fidgeters in the last half-hour of the primary school day.
Many people dismiss writers who try on the idiom of past times for size; I think if you subvert it a little, as you have here, it can be both interesting and funny.
threeleafshamrock | July 18, 2009 - 12:32
Really enjoyed and agree with all previous comments. Very tight and enjoyable.
Chris ;)
sarah wilson | July 18, 2009 - 12:55
Me too. Very good indeed:)
lenchenelf | July 18, 2009 - 13:48
Thank you all for your very kind encouragement, but subversion...moi? ;-)
all the best
lena
Cavalcaderl | July 19, 2009 - 21:25
new lenchenelf just read good the way blended
it all to-gether.the verse
Oh! naughty pixie books all
tattered look the spine is broken,battered
and the next verse.
fancy blaming the pixie? Ah
julie!
lenchenelf | July 19, 2009 - 21:51
Thank you Julie, a lovely comment atb lena x
insertponceyfre... | July 20, 2009 - 04:48
that was lovely, and funny and true. I especially like the first two lines.
I love those old nursery rhymes with horrible threats in them (which yours doesn't have - it would be interesting to make up some modern ones).
there's one in the an old edition of the oxford book of nursery rhymes where you can threaten your child with napoleon bonaparte if they won't go to sleep. It's brilliant - I used to use it on my children - you've got me thinking of a modern day equivalent bogey man : )
lenchenelf | July 21, 2009 - 09:35
Thank you very much, it was with ref. to the old admonishing tone of poetry written for children :-) I tried to differentiate the voices with humour and a nod to what children hear and the apparently different language used between generations, developing the progress of the child attempting to address parent in archaic form and ending with the childs own voice.
Not sure it worked...back to the lab :-)
Modern bogeymen, now that's a whole book of poems that children would love...go to it :-) all the best Lena