Look Before You Leap Day

After Reading "Jack and Jill" to My Granddaughter
To keep our kids from what we did,
we cite the quaint and tragic,
like falling down, hence broken crown,
though there rhyme strays from logic.

Must Jack fall down to break his crown
and spill the pail of water?
If Ned and Nell went to a well,
the hill just wouldn't matter.

And Jack, near killed, his water spilled,
Jill's presence is not needed.
One broken head—we have our dread,
the rest can go unheeded.

If she's a must, to raise more fuss
(imagine the blood spatter),
as heroine when he breaks skin
could Jill run home for Mother?

If not, then Jack could tromp to shack
to fetch his dad's sharp shovel.
No hill, no down, just broken crown,
as he crawls back to hovel.

Or solo Jill, gone down the hill
to town, where there are dangers,
Could then get grabbed by someone bad
(Don't ever talk to strangers!).

Someday cocaine may fry kids' brains,
and cars could fuel dread hurry,
but lies we've told (if we don't scold)
for now can lessen worry.

by Richard Krohn
in volume 4 issue 2

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