Tripping Trolls on the Roll

donkeys were trip tripping over the bridge
while the trolls looked up and thought
why couldn't they be donkeys too
and start their own hullabaloo
oh they need to be heard
they need to be known
the trolls just trolling
under the bridge

so they climbed up to the bridge
and started their walk back and forth
and back and forth on the plank-way
they taunted the donkeys
who just brayed and ran away
the cows who just looked bored
horses that disdainfully kept away
the trolls they were mad

so they started to pout
and they started to spout
all manners of stories
sonnets and verses fit
for the King's court
the trolls they sang their hearts out
told of fantastical worlds
and mysterious universe

delighted, their audience listened
enthralled with the stories
they started to cheer hip hip hooray
for the trolls the fancy trolls
who copied the donkey's brays
and all the cows little moos
and the horses neighing splutters
were in a frenzy of ideas

but after replays of a hundred and ten
tunes and verses again and again
the audience walked away
to adore altars of other orators
the cats, and dogs, the monkeys
crocodiles and kangaroos, they left
the trolls sputtered in anger on empty air
and slunk back to their grey domain

songs sad and lonely are still heard
from their home under the bridge
a repetition of pretty and fancy verses
but then they might be back one day
to dance their jig and recite their tales
to a happy adoring audience
...the tripping trolls.


(inspired by the Three Billy Goats Gruff-Hans Christian Anderson)