A to Z Poetry Challenge Day 3: A Castle’s A Place Where Things Are Perplexing

Posted on by Penny Parker Klostermann

Our  A to Z Poetry Challenge  today is to a create a Cento or patchwork poem by borrowing lines from other poets. Though poets often borrow lines from other writers and mix them in with their own, a true cento is composed entirely of lines from other sources. Well, my poem is not a true cento, but I did borrow 🙂 Thanks to Rena Traxel for organizing this challenge, and providing the photo for today’s prompt.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Castle’s A Place Where Things Are Perplexing
 
A castle’s a place where things are perplexing,
 
Seriously twisted, and certainly vexing.
 
I’ll share why I think this, and please, read along.
 
Just look at what happens that’s royally wrong.
 
A chorus of black birds baked up in a pie
 
Dare make a maid tell her smeller, “Good-bye.”
 
An old king named Cole is a jolly ol’ soul,
 
But can’t keep his pipe-smoking under control.
 
Then over in London, a mouse-frightened queen
 
Keeps folks a-wonderin’ where pussy cat’s been.
 
And who leaves an egg on a brick, castle wall?
 
You’d think that they’d know Humpty Dumpty would sprawl.
 
So if my folks say, “Hey! A place with a moat!”
 
I’ll pass on the castle. That’s my final vote.

26 thoughts on “A to Z Poetry Challenge Day 3: A Castle’s A Place Where Things Are Perplexing”

  1. Pingback: A to Z Poetry Challenge Day 5: Mouse Presents a Convincing Case | ~a penny and her jots~

  2. This was cunning, Penny, I think kids would love to spot what they know in this one! Super!

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    1. Thanks for reading my poem. It would be fun to see what kids would recognize.I have heard that nursery rhymes aren’t being taught as a general rule. My hope is that they will continue to live forever. They are just a part of childhood 🙂

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      1. This was superb! Research is proving that nursery rhymes gave a much broader and deeper engagement in expressive language development and emergent reading skills. They’re only now making a comeback. I, for one, am pretty glad about it. Again, this was great! What a fun read!

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          1. Hi Penny,
            I am new to the blogosphere/kidslitosphere, but “met” you at MM Poetry. Don’t we all love what Ed did? I love your Castle poem, it is really good! I will share it with my students. I, too, am a recently retired teacher, though I am venturing into the “consulting” world. I am known locally as “the poetry teacher” so am thriving “here ” during April. One thing of note is that my mother, a poetry lover, had me reciting all the nursery rhymes by the time I was 20 months old (the first child and an early talker). Hence I was an early reader, too. Do you know Tim Rasinski’s work with using poetry to help with reading fluency? There is a lot to show it has great merit. There can’t be too many poetry lovers, right? Again, I love your poems for A to Z. The brain poem is very clever. You are a good wordsmith. I hope to get a blog going! Will you be at IRA in Chicago?
            Janet

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            1. Janet,
              I’m so glad that your dropped by. I did love Ed’s March Madness. I hope he makes it an annual affair! I am not familiar with Tim Rasinski’s work. It sounds really interesting, though. I know what you mean by thriving. This has been unbelievable. So much poetry!!! And I know I’m missing a lot of it. There’s no way to know about, or read it all.
              I will not be in Chicago at IRA.
              Again, thanks for dropping by. Please, come back 🙂

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Natalie! I typed in castle terms in google and one of the first hits was nursery rhymes. When I read Sing a Song of Sixpence, I thought….this is royally wrong :•) I hadn’t thought of them in that way before. Then my thoughts took off!

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  6. Very clever getting all those nursery rhymes in Penny. Love this. I’m impressed you can think up Children’s ones every time. I must think kids tomorrow.

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