Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

I really love playing with nursery rhymes and writing my own alternatives by using shadowing ( a technique where you keep the same rhyme and rhythm pattern and change the words of an original poem, but keep it similar enough to be recognisable).

An alternative for this nursery rhyme is included in the “Ugly” chapter of my book “The Good, the Mad and the Ugly: A Collection of Angela’s Poems” RRP £5.99 and is called “Scary Mary, Quite Contrary”. (It’s in the Ugly chapter for a reason:  ‘bogies’ is the only clue you’re getting!)

Tagged as: Contrary Mary, lyrics of traditional nursery rhymes, Mary Mary Quite Contrary, nursery rhyme, nursery rhymes, traditional nursery rhyme, traditional nursery rhymes