Valentine parodies

This blog is about writing, but today is a holiday for romantics, so let’s see if we can combine the two. A parody is something that is a recognizable imitation of something else, but also recognizably changed, usually to humorous effect, although the motive can be ridicule, occasional (that is changed to suit an occasion), and even for plain old commentary. I suppose songs and poems are the most common parody, but I have heard of plays, a person’s mannerisms, and movies being parodies, too. No doubt a clever enough person could parody about anything.

Lets stick with Valentine’s Day poems.

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.

This bit of doggerel is so familiar, all you need is the first line (or a suggestion of it) and a suggestion of the poem’s structure to make a parody recognizable. Here are a few:

Roses are red,/Onions are green,/you are the sweetest/that I’ve ever seen.  (Maybe the onion is a Vidalia)
Roses are red,/Daisies are white./When we are kissing/it feels so right.
Roses are red,/Arranged in a vase./I am in heaven/When I look at your face.
Violets are blue,/Roses are red./When I’m with you,/I want you in bed!
Cell phones are here,/computers are too./I hope no one calls/when I am with you.

Just be sure not to end that second line with month, orange, purple, or silver! I invite you to add your own parodies in the comments.

This is as close as I could find of a parody of a Valentine’s Day heart.

…and here’s a parody I found on Valentine’s Day, from Jorge Cham’s clever strip, PhD: