Recently, I posted a poem from Excerpts from the Fairy Tale Files, an unpublished collection of humorous fairy tale poems I began writing in 1994. The collection includes poems written in different formats: letters from one fairy tale character to another, question and answer poems, classified ad poems—even a FAX from the Seven Dwarfs to Snow White.
Here are links to some of the poems from Excerpts from the Fairy Tales Files that I have posted to date at Wild Rose Reader and Blue Rose Girls:
Not All Princes Are Cut from the Same Cloth (A Rapunzel Poem)
Thoughts of the Wolf as He Descends the Third Little Pig’s Chimney
For Sale: Fairy Tale Artifact
Queen Speaking to Rumpelstiltskin When he Returns to Claim Her Firstborn Child
I had a lot of fun experimenting with different forms while I was writing fairy tale poems. I even wrote some “fairy tale hit tunes” to be sung to well-known melodies. Here’s one of the tunes that I’ve been tinkering with lately:
On Top of the Castle
(To be sung to the tune of On Top of Old Smoky)
By Elaine Magliaro
On top of the castle
All covered with stones
We ate our roast dragon
Then cracked up the bones.
We tossed the bone fragments
Down into the moat.
They hit the young princess.
They sank her small boat.
The king dove to save her
So she didn’t drown.
He ruined his new robe.
He lost his gold crown.
The king got so angry
He threw us in jail.
That’s where we’re composing
This musical tale.
Thanks for the chuckle, Elaine. I wasn't expecting those bones to sink the princess, so that really made me laugh. For some reason, I'm seeing this as one of those Muppet Show music videos (with Ms. Piggy in the boat, of course.)
ReplyDeleteSara,
ReplyDeleteSo glad I could give you a chuckle. I loved to watch the Muppet Show with my daughter when she was little. Sometimes I view segments of the old shows on YouTube. The Swedish Chef was one of my favorites.
Ack--Elaine, I love these. But they freak me out, too, as I have two different fairy tale related poetry collections in progress. I guess it's a common take-off point, and mine have narrower focus, but still. Ack!
ReplyDeleteI love your Rapunzel poem--have you read The Tower, by John Grandits? It's in Technically, It's Not My Fault. I read this one at my recent school visit, and the kids really enjoyed it.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteThis collection of fairy tale poems has been sitting around for years. I write--but I rarely submit. Don't ask me why.
I haven't read the Grandits poem. In fact, it's included in one poetry book I don't have.
With your love of books, I would love to see you submtting your work more. Sharing your poems online is fabulous--but I want to hold a book in my hands with your byline.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura! I appreciate what you wrote. I had planned to "get on the ball" with submitting some manuscripts early this year--but a bad respiratory infection and now pleurisy have sapped a lot of my energy.
ReplyDelete