Everyone knows I devour the macabre with the voraciousness of an upyr at a kegger. Rhymes From the Wicked Nursery is a collection of poetry from author J.D. Estrada that satisfies that hunger.
This dark collection of prose manages to be playful like many traditional nursery rhymes are, but there’s an underlying cheekiness before things take a diabolical turn. That said, where there is no bawdy or silly undertone, there is an escalating malevolence in each stanza until the end, and the reader is left entirely unsettled. It’s welcoming to have that balance in a book like this. It saves the heart from being too heavy or too light. It’s juuust right.
Like most nursery rhymes, these are a product of their time. While the tone of prose has encapsulated the good ol’ days of working willy-nilly with mercury and stuffing pockets with posies to keep the stench of death away, the poems are modern. The first poem,” Scissors”, gives me Norman Bates vibes. “Cthulu”, while being a nod to Lovecraft, also feels like bro-fist to The Evil Dead. And “Locomotive” reminds me an awful lot of Porsche Girl (who I really don’t recommend you Google). Mind you, a lot of these are my own projections on his work, which I think is the benchmark of truly successful poetry.
My personal favourites from this collection are: “Fire”, a personification of a ferocious element, “The Children Tooker”, a serial killer tale for my True Crime pastime, and “Tombstone”, an impish warning about Little Lucy and what’ll happen if you cross her path. Every one differs from the other, but is tied together by J.D.’s distinctive whimsical voice.
Rhymes from the Wicked Nursery offers something for everyone, so long as your tastes run dark. Much like that of the monster clinging to the underside of your bed frame. So cover your toes and leave that nightlight on, unless you plan on being the delicious nightcap.
Purchase Rhymes From the Wicked Nursery on Amazon.
