The truth Behind the nursery rhyme " Ring around the rosie" Syphilisis is what the rhyme refers to . Ring around the rosie :is the red ring/chancre that is caused by Syphilis. Pocket full of posies: posies are what they buried people with because of smell and superstition. ashes ashes :Syphilis use to be deadly with no cure . the people that died from it were creamated/ashes.