Grammar series: Modal Verbs

poem by: Geoffrey Brewer
Written on Oct 15, 2016

I wrote this as an exercise in the use of modal verbs (22 times). Its theme is the eternal struggle of parents to persuade their offspring to eat good food. Incidentally,I quite like cabbage now, though I hated it as a child.

Savez vous planter les choux 
A la mode de chez nous?
(French nursery rhyme)

You should eat your cabbage up my son
It's really quite delicious
May I forego the pleasure Ma
To me it is pernicious 

But it must be good for you my dear
With vitamins A,B and C
I would eat it if I could mama
But it stinks like the Sargasso Sea

It's filled with anti-oxidants 
Should give energy like a comet
Well that may be but quite frankly my dear
 It makes me want to vomit

Won't you give them another try my love
And see the way it feels
I might have a go had they not
The redolent scent of performing seals

Should I work so hard to plant and crop
When you must reject my choring
Must you take it all so personally
It can be rather boring

How might I get through to you my son
I could e-mail, or text or whatsapp 
A Morse code in cabbage and Brussels sprouts
Would still smell like a wrestler's ****strap

The government should pass a law
That cabbage shall make us all dapper
They can send me a personal copy 
I will use it in the crapper

The schools must know that cabbage is good
They should teach it in all their classes
The schools can take their cabbages
 And stick them up their curriculum 

The pope ought to issue an edict
'Brassica salubritas est'
Enough! already! I will give it a try
But you must get it off your chest

Aimez vous manger les choux?
Je crois  bien que vous etes fous

 

Tags: humor, rhyme,

Add Comment


Christopher Russon commented:
Well written poem.I love cabbage and sprouts yum yum. My grand kids have inherited my love for greens.

 

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