Beware The Troll Where Two Rivers Meet Poem by Clive Culverhouse

Where two rivers meet making a flash of land
like a hand that's a bank of grass and mud sand
but more of a foot that's sturdily put
stood ready to go and though did you know
this meeting of streams is a Moses Toe

Well at this Moses Toe sits a kind of a troll
with his toady feet dangling in

"The water's cool! " remarks him

The troll is a Pricklescoff, a bit of a scourge
who stays on the verge where two rivers merge

he has a toady back, so rough and warty that
from behind he looks like a stone
with slimy skin, it's green, brown and black
he sits alone with a wide grin and a groan

He's rude and he shouts
throws sticks and plays tricks

his wide nose he picks
and picks
and then flicks

as fishermen fish, their rods in their grips

The fishermen stay, quite often a day
on the bank of the river, somewhere along
the winding of water where there upon
it's time for a catch but a catch that's been snatched

the Pricklescoff's hand has blocked and has stopped
by building with rock then boulders on top
and gone is the hope of the fishermen's luck
of any fish coming and finding their hook

"No fish again today, " they all say
as they all head away, no reason to stay
"No fish, no fish, in the river at all! "
The Pricklescoff hears their cry and their call

He laughs and he laughs as the fish cannot pass
another trick done, another mischief
as the fisherman run in their disbelief

And then further upstream some kids with ice cream
have come out to play in their school holiday
and they're paddling and kicking the water while licking
the cold fruity flavour now sticky and dripping

But oh, the Pricklescoff knows they are there
and sets about digging in sandbanks and where
he finds lots of worms

"Ha! Worms with their squirms! "
"I'll let them all loose, each worm in their turn! "

So off they all went in the river toward
the children who splashed happily bored

All around their feet came worm after worm
they started to scream and dropped their ice cream
down the front of their clothes and into the stream

the kids fell in the river, scrambled out with a shiver
all wet and wormy and feeling quite squirmy
running and sobbing and crying to mummy

The Pricklescoff laughed and laughed, it was funny
scooping their ice cream and filling his tummy

Then further along where the water was deeper
was the small rowing boat of a rowing boat keeper
rowing gently, oh gently along
a man and a woman enjoying a song

they were singing a tune as they circled the oar
the Pricklescoff heard them and thought

"What a roar! "

he covered his ears and growled with a frown
a scowl at their howl, turned his head like an owl

The Pricklescoff reached
he gave the river a thump
sending away a large watery lump
that grew to a wave like a bubbling spring
it tipped up the boat and the people fell in

they spattered and gurgled
all splashing and thrashing
and were no longer singing
in waves they were crashing

the Pricklescoff laughed and laughed at his day
the trouble he'd caused was always his way
and there the troll sat, kicking his feet
splashing the water where two rivers meet

Where two rivers meet
that merging of flow
the Pricklescoff sits
at the old Moses Toe