useful thanks SallyE

on 28/1/03 4:52 pm, Bob Cooper at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Hi Sally,
> A neatly told story! (but, like Mike noticed, I too noticed the word Troll
> sometimes appeared many times in close proximity!). I guess alternative
> words from Trolls may appear awkward (and it may appear so obvious why
> they've been chosen as replacements as well!). Could it be possible to
> replace the Troll word with quiet words? Words like "they" and "them" may be
> easy to use...
> "... amusement of its mechante Troll,
>> and people grew to fear them."
> Just a thought,
> Bob
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>> From: Sally Evans <[log in to unmask]>
>> Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Heathen Cliff
>> Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 13:37:24 +0000
>>
>> This is a folk tale I read that attracted me in the way that subjects for
>> poems do, so I made a narrative poem of it -
>>
>> Heathen Cliff
>>
>> As great cliffs rise round Iceland, so
>> they tower round Scotland's northern isles
>> and northern mainland's half known coast,
>> like Orkney seen beyond Thurso,
>> pale turquoise, wave-frothed, grey and white,
>> a solidness out of the sea.
>> The cold cliff's pinnacles and caves
>> demand experienced sailors' crew
>> and a strong boat, held firm in calm
>> while the rock rests from the high wave.
>>
>> Or men may tackle from above,
>> from windswept shorn grass,flowered grit
>> with ropes scale down its rugged plane.
>> For there are seabirds there, and eggs
>> in cavities, pockets, on ledges,
>> and in the old communities
>> of predatory economics,
>> the crofter-fishermen would climb
>> to gannets' harm, where it is known
>> St Kilda's sustenance came from.
>> In Iceland also there lived Trolls.
>>
>> Taking the part of birds, who shared
>> their domiciles, the Trolls dislodged
>> many Icelandic huntsmen from
>> their roped descents to plunder homes
>> wet wings regarded as their own.
>> The ropes were cut and twisted. Men
>> crashed down to the upcrashing foam
>> while from each cave rang out the droll
>> amusement of its mechante Troll,
>> and people grew to fear the Trolls.
>>
>> Then people feared the Trolls, windblown
>> and made their Bishop come along
>> to exorcise those Trolls from where
>> they ruled the cliff. High over sea
>> on a bright day when Trolls seemed scarce
>> and fear quite heathen, they rehearsed
>> their rigmarole with robes and crosses,
>> blessing the cliffs, turning their curses
>> on the Trolls' homestead caves. They prayed
>> with candles, incenses and parade,
>> singing and calling out, "Begone!"
>> while all the islanders looked on.
>>
>> As the steep path grew rockier yet
>> the Bishop paused to gain his footing
>> and a sound boomed out from the cliff
>> unhappily and firmly shouting
>> in accents all those locals knew:
>> "Bishop, that's far enough to go.
>> Even the wicked need a home
>> and we are wicked, that we own
>> but we are here and here would stay.
>> Bishop, please take your faith away!"
>> All round the rocks a chorus moaned:
>> "Bishop, the wicked need a home!"
>>
>> The Bishop, whether wise or frightened
>> we do not know, said, "Troll, quite so.
>> From Heathen Cliff (I name it now)
>> we will depart," and went, enlightened.
>>
>> Sally Evans
>
>
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