Fearsome

(Bedtime fairy tales)

Can you remember fairy tales,

read out aloud when you were young?

So scary that you couldn't sleep,

that kept you counting random sheep

until exhausted you would fall

like Humpty Dumpty off the wall.

So frightful that you lived the fear,

wide-eyed you'd hide behind a sheet

to peep out when you felt it safe.

Your body pump would skip a beat,

but still you'd beg, in fact implore

for Dad to read you more and more.

The splinter in the Ice Queen's heart,

that ice shard penetrated deep,

impaled inside my porous mind,

that froze my tear ducts so I'd find

I couldn't shed a drop to cry

however hard I seemed to try.

And then the nightmares crimson bright,

red shoes would wake me in the night,

so weary but I must go on.

The dancing vivid in my dreams

drew forth the axe man, chop, chop, chop,

who'd sever feet should I dare stop.

Reviews

[DIVYA]

A very vividly illustrated poem that took me through my own childhood fears and the fun and thrill of reading and exchanging scary tales. This reader could relive some thrilling parts of her childhood through your words and reading this imaginative poem was such a delightful treat! 💕

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks DIVYA. I used to get a thrill out of being scared stiff when I was young. Some of those fairy tales were monstrous :))

[DIVYA]

Indeed Chris! And yet we couldn’t resist listening to them! We have some grisly ones here too. read moreIndeed Chris! And yet we couldn’t resist listening to them! We have some grisly ones here too.

You’re most welcome 💕

[Hayley]

Wow, I love this! The references are clear and obvious and yet so beautifully written, they don't feel like cliches or anything. It reminds me of a book I read in middle school, called A Tale Dark and Grimm. I read that book more times than I can count, the stories were so creepy yet so fun. Takes me back to childhood for sure.

[Einstein Noodle]

oh my goodness ... shame on your Dad for scaring you so ;)))))))))) how nice to be taken back to those days Christine ...Nursery Rhymes of all kinds ... me own Da use to make up hunting stories about him and me Grand Da ... getting snowed in .. bears in the woods ... deathly cold .. that sort of thing ... a precious gift says i ..to have a childhood with such memories .. peace and joy my friend!
E.
ps. i especially like your "axe man" chop chop chop ... oh noooooooooo not me toes!!!! :)

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Mr E. Yes red shoes and none stop dancing to prevent the axeman from chopping off the dancer's feet. How gruesome is that? And then three blind mice having their tails cut off by the farmer's wife. What cruelty to living creatures :) And Snow White being poisoned by that lovely red apple. They sure knew how to scare small kids in those days. Thank you for your most welcome visit. Have a great day friend.

Chris

[Einstein Noodle]

yes! and not to forget the Dwarf-a-phobia ;))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[Chris Shaw]

Oh yes, and how they turned those seven into something quite pornographic. Poor Snow White. What mind's they has those writers :)

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahahahahahha such a jolly belly laugh you have given me ... with that i bid you and the Cafe' adieu for the day ... love on ya girl!

[Chris Shaw]

: ))) ..........................

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i remember...and yes, loved being scared even as a kid....still love psychological thrillers....scary to the mind...
such memories...thank you for the "chop chop chop"----
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Jacob for your thoughts.

Chris

[Rye]

Wow, sounds as if a nightmare instead, This is very good

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Ryanna. They were nightmarish tales Ryanna believe me.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Whoa! Those nightmare inducing fairytales might end in a glade but if your mind takes them deeper......?

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you John. Those fairy stories weren't for the feint of heart :) That blooming axe man used to terrify me and yet I wanted to hear that story over and over again until I knew it word perfect.

Chris

[Stella Armour]

They were so scary they couldn't possibly be true lol..

Mind you i did think there was a man on the moon who came down too soon :))

[Chris Shaw]

Oh yes, the man on the moon, I remember him too Stella, keeping his beady eye on me in case I misbehaved!


How innocent we all were!

Chris

[Stella Armour]

In some ways the innocence was a beautiful thing, but that was a more innocent time and we could be indulged in fantasy tales. Today's children are much more intelligent and aware, education begins at two now graduates to peppa pig and on to You Tube lol.mind you my 8 year old grandson has his own site on YouTube... puts his own videos etc on so all round he is very knowledgable about many things already, knows and recognize loads of different species etc, knows lots of history.The Man on the Moon wouold just be a cartoon to him haha

[Chris Shaw]

I must admit I have a bit of a hankering for the innocence. Today, our kids grow up far too quickly. They aren't children for long are they?

[Stella Armour]

No, even the clothes they wear are not what we call baby baby clothes... no more knitted mattinee jackets and bootees sadly :(

[Chris Shaw]

They speak so freely and openly as well. Some of the conversations at our dinner table would have had my parents blushing:) Not that we would have dared open our mouths about such matters lol

[Stella Armour]

I do think it is a good thing that they are encouraged to speak as they find, conversation is becoming a lost art, and so much time spent on the internet means that to discuss things with family, even grown up matters is good for them. Even after i was married there were some things i would be too shy to discuss with my parents..

[Chris Shaw]

Same here. Sometimes though at the dinner table, I find myself thinking when Robbie is off on one, too much information while I'm eating lol

[Stella Armour]

omg ...the favourite word of my little ones has for a long time been "poo" i even bought them a playdough poo kit so they could make their own, no need to say that went down very well . haha love 'em.