Watch Out! There Are Fairies About.

 

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

 

I'd Love To Be A Fairy's Child  

by Robert Graves

 

  Children born of fairy stock
Never need for shirt or frock,
Never want for food or fire,
Always get their hearts desire:
Jingle pockets full of gold,
Marry when they're seven years old.
Every fairy child may keep
Two ponies and ten sheep;
All have houses, each his own,
Built of brick or granite stone;
They live on cherries, they run wild--
I'd love to be a Fairy's child. 

This evening is Midsummer's Eve which traditionally is believed to be a time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest, and when fairies are though to be at their most powerful. Watch out, as they can be full of mischief!

 

Of course, I do believe in fairies, don't you? I wrote to the tooth fairy when I was little, and remember that my sister had a wonderful book called "Christine's Fairy Friends"; it was magical. I used to think that fairies lived in our garden, hiding inside the fairy slipper flowers. Now I have two sitting by my pond. 

 

There are lots of poems about fairies, but I especially like this one by Robert Graves. I'm not sure about marrying at seven years old, but always getting your hearts desire and running wild seem enticing. 

 

Writing prompts:

•  Imagine you are a fairy on Midsummer's Eve. What would you do with your magical powers? Write and let your imagination fly!
• If, like the fairies, you could always get your heart's desire what would that be? Write about it.
• Fairy children live on cherries. Write about what you would live on if you could.
• Would you like to 'run wild'? Write about how and where that would be. 

Please share your writing in the comments box below.