987. Franken-Jack and Franken-Jill

In celebration of this week's Poetry Friday, being hosted by Katya Czaja on her Write, Sketch, Repeat blog, here's a new twisted nursery tale I wrote this week. The plot will be at once familiar and at once not...

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Franken-Jack And Franken-Jill
        By Vikram Madan

Franken-Jack and Franken-Jill
Lurching, lurching up the hill
Testing out the new physiques
Doctor Stein has built this week

“Buck-Et-Take-Up!", F-Jack groans
"Wa-Ter-Bring-Down!", F-Jill moans
Fill the bucket at the top
Careful not to slop a drop

Franken-Jill and Franken-Jack
Heaving, swaying, stagger back
Teeter, totter, two left feet
Trip and tumble to the street

Franken-Jill's the first to rise
Dusts her dress, adjusts her eyes
Looks at Franken-Jack and frowns
"Frank-En-Jack-You-Big-Hurt-Crown!"

Franken-Jack gets up and looms
Feels his head, then rages, fumes
"Think-Me-Head-Doc-No-Good-Bind!
Lost-Me-Now-Me-Piece-Of-Mind!"

Text and Illustrations Copyright © 2012 Vikram Madan

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Following last Poetry Friday's Humpty poem, this poem originally started as 'Franken-Humpty' ... but 'Franken-Humpty' just didnt have the same rhythm as 'Franken-Jack and Franken-Jill', who took a life of there own after being hit by a bolt of random inspiration.... :)

 If you enjoyed this poem, may I recommend two other 'twisted' poems I recently posted:

• 990. The Countenance of Humpty Dumpty
• 993. The Toad Not Taken

And if you enjoyed those poems too, well then, feel free to poke around this site and follow this blog for regular updates ... :)

Happy Poetry Friday!

 

 

990. The Countenance of Humpty Dumpty

It's Poetry Friday today, being hosted over at the Poetry For Children blog. To celebrate, here's a new humorous poem featuring an all-too-familiar character in an all-too-familiar setting. Or is it?

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The Countenance of Humpty Dumpty
              By Vikram Madan

As Humpty Dumpty, on the wall,
Sat in a cheerless slump
A passerby assumed the worst
And yelled, He’s going to jump!

An anxious crowd assembled and
Begged Humpty change his mind
The King's men and their horses came
(The Press shadowed behind)

They cordoned off the boulevard
Unfurled a safety net
A nervous chatter filled the night,
The tension, thick as sweat

Then Humpty shuffled in his spot
(The crowd shook with unease)
This isn't what you think, he said
I came here … for the breeze

You see, I haven't smiled in years
My countenance is skewed
I thought a dose of fresh air might
Invigorate my mood

For mirth lends me no company
I’m always feeling grim
And in my quest to lighten up
I sat here on a whim

But as he spoke he lost his poise
And toppled off the top
And treaded wind with flailing limbs
Down, down the few-foot drop

A solemn silence hushed the street.
All stared in stunned dismay.
Poor Humpty missed the safety net
(What more was left to say?)

The coroner, to close, declared
(As medics cleared the pile)
Humpty, our friend, is gone but look
At last, he’s cracked a smile!

Text and Illustrations Copyright © 2012 Vikram Madan

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Ok, ok - don't twist my arm - I admit I wrote this poem backwards, starting with the ending in mind. Sometimes you just gotta do what you just gotta do :) .... Happy Poetry Friday!