Most of the time, when I write a poem, the idea sneaks up on me. It might come from something I see, something I hear, or just a silly thought that pops into my head and refuses to leave. But every now and then, I get a very specific assignment.
That’s what happened with this poem. An editor at Storyworks 4–6, a magazine for students in grades four through six, asked me to write about a kid who tries to do something nice for their mom’s birthday, and tries to do it perfectly, but ends up with hilariously disastrous results.
Now, if you’ve ever tried to cook or bake something on your own, you might already know that things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes you forget an ingredient. Sometimes you add the wrong one. And sometimes… well… sometimes your cake ends up looking a lot more like meatloaf.
As I was writing this poem, I had a lot of fun imagining just how wrong things could go in the kitchen, and how the character might keep going anyway, trying their best to make something special.
This poem was originally published in the February 2026 issue of Storyworks 4–6. I hope it makes you laugh, and maybe even reminds you that sometimes the love that goes into what we do is more important than a perfect result. This is…
The Perfect Cake
Today’s my mother’s birthday.
She’s a connoisseur of cakes.
I tried to bake a masterpiece
but made a few mistakes.
I couldn’t find the flour,
so I stirred in mashed potatoes,
then turned it red as roses
by including stewed tomatoes.
I knew that eggs were needed,
but is seventeen too many?
We had no milk or butter,
so I couldn’t put in any.
The sugar was the weirdest part;
it tasted just like salt!
Her “cake” came out like meatloaf,
which was clearly all my fault.
Mom said, “This cake is perfect
and you’ve totally succeeded!
You made it with a lot of love,
and that is all I needed.”
— Kenn Nesbitt
