*

*
Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. Leonard Cohen

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Creepy Jump Rope Songs

One, two, three four
Someone's knocking on the door
Five, six, seven, eight
Pounding hard; don't make him wait
Eight, seven, six, five
Pray to God that you survive
Four, three, two, one
Time is up; he found the gun.


Pretty Penny, age of eight
Tread softly by the garden gate
Plucked a bloom though she'd been warned
Pricked her finger on a thorn
Crimson drops on petals fell
Heaven's milk turned wine of Hell
Sucked the blood so thick and red
Poisoned every word she said.


("Tread softly" is one of the common names of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, also known as "finger rot" and "mala mujer." The plant has white flowers and is  almost completely covered with sharp spines, which can be irritating and painful to the skin.)

17 comments:

Susan said...

Aw! A blooming Gorey you are. Recall his alphabet of doom.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Love the title.........very apt! This was fun, if a little distressing towards the end (smiles).

hedgewitch said...

Thanks for introducing me to a plant I will *never* have in my garden--the first one is great,too--love the creepy, and the title reminds me of my favorite Stephen King jump rope song:
'Late last night and the night before
Tommyknockers! Tommyknockers!
Knockin on the door...'


Scariest book every written, imo--you can keep your angsty teenage vampires. ;_)

hedgewitch said...

I meant 'Twilight,'not your own personal vampires, that is...when it comes to vampires, I believe in a woman's right to choose. ;_)

Kay L. Davies said...

Okay, no planting aconite for me, either, although the frightening flowers are pretty.
Very nice response to the prompt, Ms Mouse.
K

Hannah said...

Creepy indeed!! Love the musicality!

Brian Miller said...

well those are about as freaky as freddy kruegers nursery rhymes...

the second one though conveys a story so succint...its like a story of warning....very nice...

Anonymous said...

Shivers and panic you've sown in the garden!

Kerry O'Connor said...

Both of these jump-rope songs are chilling in their own way. I particularly liked the second one.

Maude Lynn said...

This is so awesome! To me, sing song meets creepy is always a perfect match.

Margaret said...

A modern-day Sister Grimm! Yes, keep the vampires, kids today don't know what is scary! (The Omen still freaks me out)

Susie Clevenger said...

Love your creepy songs...great take on the prompt!!

Anonymous said...

How very Edmund Gorey of you, Lola! At least you copped to the "creepy" right away. The one that ended with the gun hit me right in the gut.

The second was good as well, but it was more cerebral... but still it would work as a jumprope song. How sick is that?! Amy

Scarlet said...

The first one, the ending was unexpected, really good ~

The second one, dark verses "poisoned words" but very good ~

Fireblossom said...

Well, you KNOW I love creepy jump rope songs!

Mimi Foxmorton said...

I love when I'm accidentally reminded of why I adore you and your writing!

Don't get here nearly as much as I'd like these days......life gets in the way......but it's always so wonderful to come back and visit here!

Hugs for a creative day!
Mimi
Collage Pirate

Mimi Foxmorton said...

I love when I'm accidentally reminded of why I adore you and your writing!

Don't get here nearly as much as I'd like these days......life gets in the way......but it's always so wonderful to come back and visit here!

Hugs for a creative day!
Mimi
Collage Pirate