Nursery Rhyme Riffs

Nursery classics with a twist

Photo by Caro Henry

Sing a Song of Sixpence

in a world of fluttering wings,
the pie enfolded its secret tune,
blackbirds sang muffled songs, 
symphonies of death,
mournful melodies, with notes askew.

they sang of rye and pockets deep,
while souls trembled in silent dread,
as the pie opened, a chorus released,
a surreal dance of life and death.

Little Miss Muffet

What a cruel surprise—
Little Miss Muffet's demise!
On her tuffet she sat,
Curds and whey, just like that.
A big spider appeared,
Her heart filled with fear.
Frightened, she fled,
In its web, she's now dead.

Rock-a-bye Baby

Art by Archivist

In the treetop, cradle sways,
As wind's whispers fill the leys.

Cradle rocks, fragile and light,
Bough breaks, a fateful plight.

Down they tumble, both entwined,
A tragic end, destiny unkind.

Silent lullaby, mournful refrain,
Life's fragile thread, severed again.

The Wheels on the Bus

As the wheels turned, life's melody played.
But beneath the rhythm, darkness stalked.
Passengers boarded, unaware of their fate,
Innocence soon crushed by destiny’s twist.
The bus’ wheels spun round and round,
A journey to unknown battlegrounds.

Hey Diddle Diddle

Art by pinkpueblo

In a whimsical scene,
Moonlit and serene.
A cat played its fiddle,
As the cow took a riddle.

The dog bayed to the moon,
And the dish and spoon,
Dared a flight from the norm,
A tale that stirred a storm.

Are you Sleeping?

Brother John asleep, in an icy grip,
Morning bells calling him awake,
But his slumber now deep and still,
No longer hears the matins call.

Ding, dang, dong, striking chimes did ring,
While Brother John's soul, danced a jig.

Little Boy Blue

little boy blue's slumber deep,
      amidst the meadow secrets keep.
sheep wander, cows graze away,
      he’s in the haystack, lifeless they say.
silent dreams, eternal rest,
      little boy blue, a soul now blessed.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Art by Michael

In the vast abyss of the night,
Stars ignite, casting their light.

Mysteries woven in their glow,
Whispers of souls that used to know.

They twinkle, distant and far,
Guiding us through life's memoir.

A reminder, amidst the scars,
Of why we wonder, what we are.

Author’s Note

I started thinking about writing these during the NaPoWriMo 2024 challenge in April to write 30 poems in 30 days. While writing about my greatest fear for one of the challenges, I kept hearing “The Wheels on the Bus” nursery rhyme in my head. Based on that challenge, I used a dark theme for most of these.

Upcoming…

• A poem about lingering memories:

  Father’s Day, 15 June 2024

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