The Fairy [2] Poem by Gert Strydom

I went to Zeekoeivlei, that marsh, to photograph and look
at the coots, the flamingos and the hammerhead near to the brook
and to me they were very interesting as things in nature does go
but unexpectedly I found things portrayed only in a mythical book.

On the flats of Zeekoeivlei on a bright sunny day
I saw some goblins selling their goods and fairies out to play.
There was gnomes, elves, nixies, sprites, kobolds, dwarfs, pixies,
and some others to whom men are enemies and fair fray.

The mischievous ugly dwarf-like goblins kept on bidding me to come,
to buy their sweet yet poisonous fruit which would be delightful to some
and they sold all kinds of berries that could take you on a trip
but the effects were vile and could keep me from going home.

Strange it was that all of this was revealed to a man
and there I did trod as carefully as I can
forgetting about the flamingos and hammerhead-bird,
saw a minutely small lovely friendly fairy-woman

with golden locks catching the eye dancing on a dew drop
where it did tremble under her small fairy-feet and she did stop.
Áine, smiled very lovely to me said: "come and play, "
where she was pert, hoydenish but a troll tried to eavesdrop

and with a kind of authority she sent that creature on its way
waited till it and a undine were out of earshot and far away,
hopped off the dewdrop smiled enticingly and was very sweet
when she again invited me with words that did much more say.

She was coy but also enticing with all kinds of skills
did usually bewail death as a woman of the hills
and her rainbow-silk garb glimmered white as milk
where she was a protector against all kinds of ills.

That small little Banshee full of heartfelt greetings
fluttered all around me on small golden wings
treated me with unequal respect, acted as a woman to a man
and she said that she had happy joyous tidings

but to her there was a solemn dignity and she was secretive
and it was as if I was under a spell but it was a joy to live;
she took me to milky-white arum spathes enveloping flower clusters,
served me cake and raisin-bread and she had much more to give,

said that she wanted to marry me and I would be a prince or something
but first I had to drink from a needle-small vial and this was interesting
as it would diminish me to her size and somehow she had chosen my company
and it was exciting to think that with me she wanted to bring to life offspring

while she explained to being a goddess who would bring me endless bliss
with something new and unexpected in every single kiss
and that she meant all of this in reality was strange
also that tiny mighty creatures could live like this

and my days with her would be endless with daily new discoveries
with only my love my yearning for her and no other liabilities
but changing from a full grown human man to something else
and there would be provided for all of my necessities.

She told me that for many years when I went to the veldt, into nature,
she did watch me, did follow me as a child and also when I became mature
that she do know me very, very well and even about the things I do not like
and of her love for me, and also of her responsibilities, she was very sure.

She was such a genuine sincere lovely little thing,
I realise to her my voice must be like thunder and start whispering,
I told her that as we have just only met that I did not really know her yet
that it would be something huge and life altering this transforming.

For a moment her eyes did with a evil kind of black anger glow
while things that sounded like curses she did on me bestow,
she said that I was a fool as I do not comprehend her love for me
talked about things of which I do not really the full meanings know

but I do know this that no heartache or any loss she did to me bring
and sometimes in the evenings among the flowers I see something twinkling
while now back right here I cannot believe it was really happening
but the most beautiful songs full of pain and joy I do hear her sing.

© Gert Strydom