You know they are there, on a branch, hiding. Perhaps you’ve planned a picnic, and you say, “Oh dear. I forgot the strawberry jam.” But when you get home, no jam. You just forget, shrug your shoulders.
And back in the forest, rolling up a cat tail leaf smothered in your red sweets, chuckles an elf, happy for your gift of eats.
While walking through the beauty of tall trees dripping in moss and lichens, ducking beneath branches, you push your hair back out of the way. Hah. You’ve just been tagged by an elf who has spotted you for a play.
And after the walk, pull out your comb to unknot the tangles of what you think was a brisk and tough walk, when really those elves were pulling a strand here and there and, gently tugging them into knots held in place by stolen fairy dust.
If you don’t believe me, here’s the same forest in different views, in views of how to see an elf in the forest. Go ahead. Try it next time you’re there.
Click image for larger version, or view here on Flickr.
On the pictures, the poem reads:
In the forest of bright green
Squint your eyes to blur the scene
Hold the moment with glass of rose
Or black and white, green shadow’s show
Best of all, with sugar and spice,
Gaze through a glass of rose and weave of green
A gift you give and gift you get:
A tip of his hat, a wave of his hand
Before he fades to elven land.
In the center, enjoy the details:
The thing about elves is
They disappear when
your gaze on them is cast
If one you think you’ve spied
Squint so his visibility will last
Or quickly look through glass of rose
For a moment’s frozen pose
‘Til even his green to th forest fades
Snap a picture in black and white
Gray and black and a spot of green
“I’ve got him” you’ll think ’til it turns to shade
But if you’re there with a glass of rose
Also gaze through a weave of green
Drop a spot of sugar and spice
And he’ll tip his hat to you –twice!
Now you know!
Do you know another way?
Prompt: Write for seven minutes about elves in the forest
VERMONT WRITES DAY!
Some people believe that forests are enchanted places, with elves living there. Write a story or poem about the forest elves. Or tell the tale of a person who doesn’t believe this, but then something happens to make them less certain.
Young Writers Project Prompt for February 1
#clmooc
Writing Strategies
rhyme: cast, last; rose, pose
assonance: weave, green; frozen pose
Verbs: squint, snap, gaze, tip, drop
All photos, poetry, and art by Sheri