Black wave the trees in the forest
And a rough wind hurries by,
But the swineherd’s toddling daughter
Knows where fallen pinecones lie.
And girt with a snowy apron
She scampers, alert and gay
To the hidden pool in the hollow
Where the wan witch people play.
They smile, the wee wrinkled women
They creep to her pinafore;
And lay in her lap strange treasures
Trolls brought from the ocean’s floor.
And they marvel at her blonde tresses
And braid them with scented fern;
And they lave her dusty, brown ankles
With snow water from the burn.
But nobody listens, or heeds them
The swineherd hews a new trail,
The swineherd’s wife in the cottage
Pours the sour milk from the pail.
And little Gerta lags homeward
Dream shod through the shadows deep;
Her eyelids heavy with wonder –
They whisper, ” She’s been asleep.”
(Laura Benet)
More Poetry from Laura Benet:
Laura Benet Poems based on Topics: Nature, Listening, Smiling, Snow- "She Wandered After Strange Gods." (Laura Benet Poems)
- "Feathers - Flowers" (Laura Benet Poems)
- Cushy Cow (Laura Benet Poems)
- To A Parrot In A Farmhouse (Laura Benet Poems)
- The Penny (Laura Benet Poems)
- The Working Children To The Story Teller (Laura Benet Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Nature Poems, Smiling Poems, Snow Poems, Listening PoemsBased on Keywords: trolls, hews, pinafore, swineherd, scampers, pinecones