A while back I gave my global teacher community a challenged called Twisted Pair. It was to encourage them to write creatively and stretch the imagination. The rule was simple: Choose two characters from history and/or popular culture (they could be real or fictional) and write a short story about their meeting and what might possibly happen.
Here's the same challenge for all you poets: Choose yourself two characters and write a short poem about their meeting. It could be the most unlikely characters you could possible think of: King Henry VIII and Donald Duck. John Wayne and Batman ... how about Marilyn Monroe and the Phantom of the Opera?
Here's my example:
Bela Meets Nancy
When Bela Lugosi meet Nancy Pelosi
He ask for a dancy cos she take his fancy
Lugosi drink rosè and soon he proposi
"I'm happily married to Pauly", says Nancy
Then Bela Lugosi begin to get antsy
The ring on her finger is something he can't see
He all lost for words like the magic man Teller
Cos Nancy don't fancy a fella called Bela
Steve Wheeler © 18 November, 2023
The poem doesn't have to rhyme, and neither do the names! In my example the names to rhyme, and I've exploited that feature. Tag you poem #TwistedPair and let's see what we can all come up with! You can share it below in the comments section, on any Facebook poetry group pages, or anywhere else on the web. Let's see how far we can spread this challenge!
Steve Wheeler
Image from Wikimedia Commons
Henry XIII?
ReplyDelete"Time flies"
ReplyDeleteAyesha Ayesha:(16/11/2023)
Happiness was good in the beginning
Only a thorn in the road tore it all apart-
There was music in the spring air
Deep in that song was an unknown pain
Birds were flying on the horizon
But tears filled with water
Didn't see it.
Many things go unnoticed
I didn't have the heart to watch
Life changes
The night ends with a dream
Dreams change
Time flies
Destiny turned
People change
One day the feeling is lost.
I did say fictional characters were allowed
DeleteNice prim, but maybe you should read the brief again. This ain't no twisted pair
DeleteI love this challenge!! Here’s my two bits!!
ReplyDeletethe Stooges supervise Kim Jong Un
woob woob woob Curleys doing his thing
as Kim Jong Un comes a’ wobbling in
Moe straight slaps Curley for stomping his toe
Larry squirts his corsage on Un’s entourage
Kim disapproves of every political Stooge
although his stiff staff can’t help but laugh
when Curley trips hugging on to Kim’s hips
they don’t hold him up… Kim grabs Larry’s butt
squeezing Moe’s hair, they all fall unaware
of a swarm of soldiers slipping on red rollers
communist quackery touring a bomb factory
where Stooges oversee all productivity
©️penned by: m.e.
november 18 2023
Hilarious Matt....I love it
DeleteEntertaining twisted pair
DeleteTWISTED CELEBRITY RAUCOUS
ReplyDeleteAt under 45's disco under a glitter ball
Barry White bumped into Sally Linsey.
'Eye up love we don't see you round ere',
no says Barry I'm waiting for Harry Styles.
Well said Sally im actually waiting Prince Harry
and here they are, each holding a glass of rum.
Sally got here Prince and Barry got the other Harry
all standing together under the disco glitter ball.
Along comes Shirley Valentine, on the arm Paul Simon,
who sweeps of around the dance floor to 'The sound of silence'
and bumping into Sally who is now on the arm of Danny Dyer
Before Barry, Harry, Shirley, Harry Danny, Sally land in heap
A bizzare celebrity twister challenge game you have seen
You wouldn't thrown this to on 'Love Island' or 'First Dates'
They've caused such a raucous soon there thrown out
By the bouncers Brian Blessed and Judy Finigan.
By SJH
DeleteI love the concentration of twisted pairs in this. Well done Sarah
Delete
ReplyDeleteTHE TWISTED PAIR
Edgar Allen Poe meets Betty Page
At a Party for up and coming poets.
Edgar implores Betty on bended knee,
To just listen to what he has to say;
Suddenly he was interrupted by the Raven
Flying past..
Clipping Edgar on his head with his wing
Giving him the wink while cawing and
Cackling with glee as only a Raven can;
Meanwhile Betty, being quite alarmed at
The big black thing, was about to flee, when
Edgar gently takes her by her leather
Strap and leads her to a pear tree.
Which the Raven has taken up residence in.
Pecking at a juicy ripe plump pair of
Pears, the Raven suddenly pecks at Peggy’s pair
As they resembled the ripe round pair
Of pears he was pecking at;
Peggy jumps up in anguished shock
Edgar grabs her by her whip and pulls
Her down into his welcoming lap, under
The pear tree, to keep her own pair
Safe from the outrageous Ravens snapping
Beak;
Suddenly a pair of pears fell onto Betty’s
Own pair of pear shaped goodness’s which
Edgar graciously and eagerly assisted Betty
In untangling the pair of pears, that were
Caught up in Betty’s leather brassiere.
The Raven’s beak was snapping, trying to
Unravel the pair of pears that he mistook
For her now bleeding bosoms;
Meanwhile Edgar’s aghast at the mayhem
That’s ensued with blood soaked
Feathers floating on the raging gale
That just blew in with Annabel Lee
Free of her fever...
(C)Ingrid M Schneider. 19th Nov. 2023
ReplyDeleteTHE TWISTED PAIR
Edgar Allen Poe meets Betty Page
At a Party for up and coming poets.
Edgar implores Betty on bended knee,
To just listen to what he has to say;
Suddenly he was interrupted by the Raven
Flying past..
Clipping Edgar on his head with his wing
Giving him the wink while cawing and
Cackling with glee as only a Raven can;
Meanwhile Betty, being quite alarmed at
The big black thing, was about to flee, when
Edgar gently takes her by her leather
Strap and leads her to a pear tree.
Which the Raven has taken up residence in.
Pecking at a juicy ripe plump pair of
Pears, the Raven suddenly pecks at Peggy’s pair
As they resembled the ripe round pair
Of pears he was pecking at;
Peggy jumps up in anguished shock
Edgar grabs her by her whip and pulls
Her down into his welcoming lap, under
The pear tree, to keep her own pair
Safe from the outrageous Ravens snapping
Beak;
Suddenly a pair of pears fell onto Betty’s
Own pair of pear shaped goodness’s which
Edgar graciously and eagerly assisted Betty
In untangling the pair of pears, that were
Caught up in Betty’s leather brassiere.
The Raven’s beak was snapping, trying to
Unravel the pair of pears that he mistook
For her now bleeding bosoms;
Meanwhile Edgar’s aghast at the mayhem
That’s ensued with blood soaked
Feathers floating on the raging gale
That just blew in with Annabel Lee
Free of her fever...
(C)Ingrid M Schneider. 19th Nov. 2023
#twistedpair poetry challenge
ReplyDeleteMERLIN AND HARRY POTTER
Merlin was cordially invited to Harry’s birthday bash,
But being part of Slytherin he thought that they would clash.
Similar to Miss Granger, Merlin was merely a mud blood,
A demon for a father, all assumed he was no good.
But Merlin and Harry hit it off, their attitudes the same,
Decided to liven up the party and play a different game.
“Expecto Patronum” Harry shouted and conjured up his stag,
He’d mastered it at a tender age, but he didn’t like to brag.
It leapt and prance between the guests, spilling all the drinks,
Then it vanished through the window before anyone could blink.
Merlin cast a sleeping spell on all the unsuspecting guests,
Then the naughty, mischievous pair set about their quest.
They switched hats and spectacles, placed them on a different nose,
Moved hand and arm positions, put them in a different pose.
They re-arranged the furniture, popped balloons, and eat the cake,
Then they woke them all up and conjured up a snake.
First, they were confused and baffled but then hysteria set in,
“Over to you now Harry, you’ve got this” encouraged that impish wizard Merlin.
Harry spoke in Parseltongue and the snake raised to obey,
It began to dance as in a trance, up and down and sideways sway.
It slithered in-between the guests who were now climbing on their chairs,
Causing mayhem and commotion with the antics of this pair.
Suddenly the snake disappeared, transformed just like a boggart,
Now a glass nodding bird, bobbing in a pot of yoghurt.
The duo were gripped by the neck by a figure in a shrouded cape,
“I though you two would be up to no good” snipped Professor Severus Snape.
He took them by the ankle, performed the dangling jinx,
Peace resumed inside the house, “cheers, time for a relaxing drink!”
© Donna Smith 18/11/2023
What an imaginative pairing! Love it.
DeleteTwisted
ReplyDeleteLove has forgiveness, kindness and care
fear makes sure that greed doesn’t share
love speaks in laughter, fear screams out loud
fear makes us hate, love makes us proud
Love creates life, the transcendence of time
fear creates blame to solve its own crime
love has great patience, fear cannot cope
fear borrows in trust, love repays in hope
Emotional twisting, chemistry of stress
a love finds truth a fear won’t confess
move them untethered, don’t let them touch
and never be afraid to love too much
©️2023
Archie Papa…