GRENDEL'S AUNT (an original poem) - Part 6
This metered ode is written by a faery poet named Brighid. She's a character in my novel, The Grim Girl's Gallowglass. In pre-Christian Irish mythology, Brigid (spelled differently) was a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a supernatural race. She was the goddess "whom poets adored." Brighid writes this poem, "Grendel's Aunt," over the course of the novel.
"Grendel's Aunt" follows a hero named Hymm who transacts a business deal with Dwenndis, aunt of the monster Grendel, from Beowulf.
Come morning, Hymm saddled his spirited mare
and they clopped down the main road to Mundt.
He noticed the yews that were lining his way,
pedunculate oak and the sweet tree of bay.
In the massive old trunk of a baobob tree
a wench serving wine waved Hymm over.
“What'll ya have, mister, whiskey or ale?
Or a shot of tequila from France?"
He glanced at her France and decided on stew.
“How's the pub food? Some chips? Maybe grouse vindaloo?”
“It's funny you mention, cook wants your attention.
She asked me to give you her card.”
“If you're in need of enchantment,” it read,
“My specialty's questing enhancement.
Amygdala Wyrm, I'm a witch of the wood.
For potion concocting, my skills are quite good.
My title, officially: Macromancer,
I can speak with the dead in the long run.”
“Tell your proprietess no deal today
I'll be lucky to pay for my meal.”
The wench gave a wink and she comped all his drink,
brought him sandwiches, sacke, and a stole made of mink.
“That's a gift for Sweet Cindy!” and then she confessed:
“Silly knight, Wyrm's not selling, she's buying.”
"Grendel's Aunt" is protected under a Creative Commons license stipulating no derivatives and full attribution.