Letting Elves in the World Again

The emerald grass crunched beneath her feet
As she tiptoed through the forest
Her ears were perked and listening
For clues to an enemy’s presence

Through black and misty trees
Another lass emerged
She, too, was trying to not be seen
Her muffled footsteps were not heard.

Quietly these two fair maids
Approached each other’s paths
When suddenly one yelped loudly in alarm
As they bumped one another’s backs

They fell to the ground-giggling and gleeful
With hearts as free as unfettered birds
These two Elvin friends that were playing pretend
Enjoying the magic that lay in the firs

Their hair curled round their ears
Their eyes were alive with hope
They spoke of their dreams and imagining things
Of nightmares and evil they never spoke

These two darling elves, enjoying their days
Playing in worlds past and future
Creating the wonder that lit up their faces
Not caring for bland and colorless fare

Then one day in their wonderful dreaming spot
An ogre came and destroyed their field of play
She told them that only foolish ones thought
That life could be colored in so many shades

She chastised them for their wandering ways
And warned them never to roam
They must never think that they could escape
And set out on adventures or grow

The ogre destroyed all the joy that she found
And left these tiny elves distraught
She sauntered away, pleased and assured
That this was quite a good lesson she’d taught

For there once was a time, if you go back very far
That this ogre was not always so mean
In fact, at one time, she had hopeful eyes
And (gasp!), she had even had dreams

So, it was her duty, her call, her job
To make sure these impetuous elves
Knew that their dreams and hopes and fun
Were only going to damage themselves

Better to dash any creative thoughts
To clear any springing up of imaginings
Than to have them find out later than this
That elves simply were not allowed to be

These two little elves, with hair round their ears
Lost dreams shining in their eyes
Sat still and dejected, not saying a word
Each feeling the loss of her fire

When out through the firs came a rustling sound
Bursting through them came an Elvin man
An Elvin man? This did not make sense
For elves could not grow into women and men

This Elvin man came over to them
He handed them a soft cloth for their tears
He slowly sat down and began to tell
Of how he had avoided their ogre-ish fears

He told them that he’d been a knight in these woods
He told them that he’d been a pirate at sea
He told them of how he’d saved his true love
From a witch who liked to eat Elvin meat

He quietly smiled as he continued his tales
Their tears farther apart and more few
He told them of when he’d been a fierce shark
And of the time he’d slain a dragon…or two

He began to laugh as he went on to explain
The time that he’d been a court jester
He told them the same jokes he had told to the king
And, noticed their eyes were getting much drier

Soon these young Elvin lasses
Were shaking with laughter again
Their eyes sparkled with his adventures so grand
Their delightful magic was creeping back in

The older elf with his wise, twinkling eyes
Patted them each on the head as he smiled
With love for their souls written on his discerning face
He bade them return to their games and wiles

He reminded them that ogres know some things
But to listen to everything they say would be rash
For nobody should stifle fanciful thoughts
Or the magic would never come back

He also reminded these two petite ones
That ogres were not always so
They had in the past been choice little Elves
Who grew up and had lost their free souls

As the older elf crouched to his knees
He looked them deep in their eyes
He said do not fear and do not be ashamed
Your magic you should never hide

When you hold on to this sparkling place
You’ll teach others to do so too.
And, this is the way we can bring back the Elves
And remind them of what they can do

When the Elven girls turned home for the night
And looked back to bid him goodbye
He had already disappeared into the firs
But, they felt the magic in his flight

Remembering his words these two made a pact
to never the magic ignore
That as they grew older and tempted to change
They would not let themselves become ogres.

With their sincere pact a tide was turned
A wondrous change occurred
Slowly and carefully over the years
Elves began to take back the land.