***

In the forest

Past the edge of town

A Troll lives under a bridge

A nasty hopping troll

No tourist here

Hops fast over the hedge

He frowns and furrows his brow

And examines tracks in the dirt

Says to himself

“Who passed here?!

How’d they get by

Without me knowing?

It makes me mad

and I feel hurt”

*

A hunched and greasy Troll

Squished through branches of the hedge

Claw caught his arm

Tree-nails scratching flesh

But the plant didn’t care

“Home needs repair”

He seethed and scrambled down the bank

Attacked the cliff as if it was stairs

“Why won’t the passerby help me out?

It really isn’t fair”

*

The troll seemed unsettled

For all of time

Follows uneven ground

Down to the stream

He shuffled and slid

Rocks tumble and skid

Chasing the forest

Madly into a dream

Found some refuge

Curled in the base of a tree

No one amused

They thought his rock free

As if he used grime

As a ruse to confuse

*

Grime and filth of roads

We creep along

Folk jump lines

Squashing trolls like toads

Can’t wait for a new day

“More! More!”

Humans cry

Glazed eyes

Troll stares

into a thoughtless sky

Reaching out to catch clouds’

Gold and silver lining

Grace finds

Fallen angels flying

By sharing psyche

Divining

*

Out of the sky

As if from a cocoon

The grim Troll was greeted by wings

On fire

Inspired

To take him higher

And never again to sink

Was it truth, justice or human equity?

Or was it another wild delusion?

Free living or a dragon

Or someone to flag down

To share Love

With food and kinder amusement?

*

The mood had to do

with the attitude

All loose

Unrefined

was nothing to compare to

Sailing heights he could find

and deep insights

Rising from finding beauty in the world

Something that shouldn’t be disguised

And Never would be compromised

No matter how far down he climbed

The angel revived him

*

Above all and winding higher

No one anticipated such a fire

Melting candles

We must acquire

Illuminate shared desire

Day and night a glow on

The horizon

Words bestow way more pride on

When society reaches out

To help one stay strong

Fly through life fast and fair

And calmly stay aware of

Which side of life’s road

Light might shine on

And stay right on

*

Problem with angels

Timelessly old

Robbing angles

Of folks

Like this hopeless troll

Certain light

Helps his fight

And at times makes it right

But in blackest night

Even divinity struggles

No affinity for his social bubbles

Beauty of a butterfly

Form of psyche

Can’t occupy seclusion

Troll looks down says

“No one likes me”

*

“But I like you”

Came a voice booming from above

“Your choice is

Doom or true blue love”

The bottom dweller and bridge-haunting fiend

Thought about it and did not want greed

“Damn it all!

If this is the end

This is my last call

I take Doom”

In giving up hope

That was his fall

He lost all scope

and swung his rope

*

All twisted and tangled and totally misled

Tied up tight

Troll then turned and said

“I must get free from this tumultuous thread!”

He gazed up

with the beast

Flying over his head

And thought for one moment

Soon he’d be dead

Then the sky seemed to open

Yet when predator’s eyes turned to red

Kind guardian overlords took over instead

*

The force of fierce friends

Takes shapes that can shift

Lends assurance of life

So his energy lifts

Pigeons around Troll’s home

Under the bridge

Gave him spirit to rise up

Past any cliff

Past self-doubt

And fear

Past moods that can drift

And past any predators

That have caught a whiff

*

Down on the grass

Sitting ducks launch

Into the water

To get off the raunch

The stench of the Troll

Like water off their back

Attracts the worst in people

Not kept on track

Even wild friends swim to be clean

The black of the unknown

In kind light grows to green

Death of shared hope

is the most obscene

*

Then seeing the Troll under the bridge

Folks walking by were still having fits

“He’s creepy

Dangerous

And coming over the ridge

Push him down

He’s a clown

He fakes weeping

To prey on us

Quick

Save the kids”

But what they didn’t know was this:

The troll was one of them

Yet they threw him down in the ditch

*

Most folk spite him

Though he’d been enlightned

Life under the bridge:

So very frightening

He knew inside

His ideas were alright and

All their lies so up high still

He worked on his pitch

As they closed their eyelids

And gave him mountains to climb

They’re rich yet deprived him

No matter what good he did

His insight never would find them

*

“I think I’m here because of my luck

Some things I do

Help me on my way

What I started with

And the structure of the system

truly landed me here

in every single way”

The path laid past the true person

As he made his way down the line

He gained energy

from the joy in life he could find

with survival and kindness in mind

*

As he struts down the path

And shares passion in a breath

It’s as if no one cares

Except those that have wrath

Or others that laugh

With but not at

Those that do

Are so few

Put him to the test

Though he’s already stressed

It’s confessed that he’s blessed

And he worries about the rest

*

Typical adventure

To wish the best and be prevented

From doing what he meant to

Redemption

That never went through

But when he tried again

Friendship felt heaven sent

His words are gentle

The passerby didn’t comprehend them

Until they reached their potential

to blend in more mental health

As intended

*

“Oh my God

The hand I’m dealt”

the Troll-Person sighed

And deeply felt

“If they could share my thoughts

And into my dreams melt

To build mental health

There is no greater wealth!”

The Troll’s ability to adapt

Moved him past the bridge

Into the world he aimed to help

Their indifference was the only hitch

*

Regarding moving on

Some ties were hacked and severed

Not by his own choice

His pride: never in fact that clever

Those most annoyed

Slightly

Impacted by the weather

Forever but in the instant tethered

to the acting soul

Like a feather in his cap

Blowing as fast as

The brevity of wit could ever

*

Though certain trees had fallen

along his walk out of the forest

He knew to make his home here

To build each day up

With kind morals

And when his friend came out of the sky

To help with his chorus

The adventure was just getting underway

And honesty opens doors best

While patience is the core test

*

Reaching from the sky

Partly reflected from the past

A sign of things to come for sure

With changes coming fast

All around him today dropped down

So numb the skies were overcast

The world in metamorphosis

The old year still to pass

Shapes hidden cold and grey

Bursting through all shadows

Into a sudden place to stay

Everyone that’s glad knows

*

Before he could reach that place to bide

Where warmth

Comfort and companionship hide

He trudged through hills and mountains wide

And thought of the days under the bridge

he had lied

Where many folks had quietly died

And until now no one had cried

And when his icy tears were dried

He twisted the knob and went inside

*

Opening the door

Stumbling into the house

After such a long journey

He no longer had doubts

The Person

Not a Troll

Never screams and shouts

like a grouch

Found life and had past

for which he could vouch

Moments of truth bringing joy

still hide and crouch

Until in front of him

A fierce beast on the couch

*

Hunger they shared was

Insatiable

Showing no fear

Though death was near

Respect kept him clear

Teeth glistening

Hair or their necks bristling

Tongues whistling

Taste of love dripping life

They gave it all

Quite scared

but effort made both their lives savable

All the demands to be strong and courageous

They digested in stages

Both must be appeased

To keep their world safe as

Under the bridge places

In most cases

Truly cruel and outrageous

Despite both being

Totally capable

*

Run across the galaxy

Hold onto gravity

When the world throws us storms and fire

Look ahead

Life will inspire

Whether under a rock

Or far under the road

When optimistic

A prince shown from a toad

Dig for kindness and find it

Different light

Don’t mind it

Failure is a fallacy

New experience is all we need

*

The beast and the person

In total immersion

Of life’s changing ways

There’s always new days

The loss of one

Brings another

Into time and space

They follow the river

And go under the bridge

Find light under the sky

or black as pitch

If to each other

They have aversion

Time to move on

Or work it out

Take another excursion

That’s life

To be sure of

*

An emotional sunshine

Climbing to new highs

Or falling through the skies

ON understanding they balance

Between peaks and branches

The person we see

Pure and free

or caught up could be

the Troll or a Beast

or you or me

Time takes it’s toll

Yet if the dynamics roll right

Pain loses the fight

And comfort takes over the light

*

Descending towards night

Or rising for all days

Our breath

The Earth

As we travel

Changes

Under and

Over

Ancient archways

As to the sun and

Wretched disparity that’s

Done

There is always

Light

Hold all life as one

Aim for respect and empathy

Never shun

Better understanding

And with optimism

There are resources

For everyone

Only then our bridge is won

And no Person or Troll

Is left with none

Ot under the gun

Or on the run

Growing cold and old

With no love or fun

Or what folks want

Not bought or sold

Without dignity

Or stunned

Fairly allowed to live like anyone

A tale to be told

Or spun

Only of peace

Love

and new Freedom

Just

True

Freedom

***