Promptly Poetry Entries (6/20 - 6/21)

Lessons Learned in the Black Forest

The forest is dark and full of danger
The children oft were told
And so they kept close to home
On their daily strolls

But there was something scarier
That might enter a young child’s life
The loss of a mother so dear
And a father’s second wife

And so it happened to Hansel and Gretel
That they got a new stepmother
Who set her heart against them
Though the two were not much bother

She took them into the forest
And abandoned them among the nettles
Alone, cold and afraid
Were little Hansel and Gretel

They tried to trace their steps
But the forest filled them with dread
And hunger drove them onward
Till they found a house of gingerbread

The poor lost little ones
They couldn’t help but snack
The witch thus lured the children
Then locked them in the back

But Hansel had a plan
And Gretel was no dummy
You grow up pretty quick
When you’ve got an evil step-mummy

The witch’s eyesight failed her
So Hansel played a trick
Instead of a chubby finger
He held out a little stick

And when they’d grown stronger
The children pulled a switch
They escaped from their cage
And cooked the wicked witch

Hansel and Gretel went home
Their dad was filled with joy
He thought that he would never again
See his little girl and boy

As for step-mom, she was quiet
And the children didn’t talk
They kept her secret and their distance
But never again went with her for a walk


Loosely based on the grim Grimm's tale of Hansel and Gretel

Written for "Promptly Poetry Challenge (2023-2024)" 
Week 43
Write a poem based on a classic children's story.
At the bottom of your poem, please let your readers know which story you chose.