I find these types of things quite funny.
Trees
Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
~
Poet-tree
Earle Birney
i fear that i shall never make
a poem slippier than a snake
or oozing with as fine a juice
as runs in girls or even spruce
no i wont make now nor later
pnomes as luverlee as pertaters
trees is made by fauns or satyrs
but only taters make pertaters
& trees is grown by sun from sod
so are the sods who need a god
but poettrees lack any clue
they just need me & maybe you
~ ~ ~
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This Is Just to Say
William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
~
This Is Just to Say
Erica-Lynn Gambino
(for William Carlos Williams)
I have just
asked you to
get out of my
apartment
even though
you never thought
I would
Forgive me
you were
driving
me insane
Or there’s the Ogden Nash version:
I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree
Indeed, unless the billboards fall,
I’ll never see a tree at all.
I think that poem parodies both funny and serious are a great way for budding writers to practice poetry and get the feel for a meter.