A Company of Wolves

Gold cherry

By marandina

Wed, 22 Dec 2021
  • 4781 reads
31 comments
 

Audio version at https://soundcloud.com/user-62051685/a-company-of-wolves-mp3

 

A company of Wolves

 

Orange-fire sun arcs lower,

twilight creeps in shadows,

pines hang heavy with snow,

bushes flash red with berries.

 

High castle straddles the horizon,

verdant green forest at its feet,

lone wolf howls from distant trees,

roe-deer blinks, turns and flees.

 

A little girl wearing red skips,

weaves through misty woods,

silent holly rustles, she brushes,

knocking apples from her basket.

 

Now she sees the log cabin,

hidden in its cavern of copse,

crumbling footprints form a path,

a winter robin sings close by.

 

As the door is gently knocked,

silence broken, faint echoes resound,

ingress of wood creaks opens,

old woman in rags bids welcome.

 

In the corner sits a yule tree

wearing tinsel, baubles as a coat,

and seated all around a table

are a company of wolves grinning.

 

She smiles, sits and
joins them.

 

Image free to use at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Riding_Hood#/media/File:Little_...

Certificate 12
Poem
Fairy tales
Fantasy

Comments

Submitted by onemorething on

Wonderful. Love it. :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading it, Rachel. So glad you liked it. Paul :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thank you for the cherries, ABC Eds. Genuinely appreciated. Paul :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Just love this tale, captures a completely different ending to Little Red Riding Hood. Very inspiring too, with the misty wood.

Very much enjoyed reading.

Jenny. 

 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading it, Jenny. Glad you liked it. Paul :)

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

A happy resolution for a girl easily led astray and for the wolves, animals often much maligned.

Best, Luigi

 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading it, Luigi. Wishing you a merry Christmas. Keep well, my friend. Paul

 

Submitted by drew_gummerson on

A great twist on a well known tale. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thanks for reading it, Drew. Always a good day when you pop up in my comments. Paul :)

 

Submitted by donignacio on

Such a wonderful and inspired take on this fairy tale that I absolutely loved reading.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thank you for reading it. The ending is intended to signify how we should be at one with wolves rather than fearing them. Thanks again. Paul

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Lovely sentimental description of the walk, but quite a shock ending. Is it really meant to be a happy ending, or left equivocal? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading it, Rhiannon. The ending is about the girl and the wolves living together in simpatico. It's a happy ending albeit with a touch of ambiguity. The setting is from times gone by, hence the old woman wearing rags as times are hard. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks again. Paul :)

 

Submitted by onemorething on

This wonderful retelling is our Pick of the Day. Do share on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thank you so much. That's made my day! Paul :)

 

Submitted by LittleRedHat on

I love the structure and the unexpected twist in the ending.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thank you for reading it. Hope you have a great Christmas. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I liked this very much :0) Is kind of how I feel about seagulls, it is lovely to read something where the hated and feared are seen as belonging, welcoming. I liked your build up with the walk, too, giving the idea that to like something as bad as wolves you must go far out of the normal world, somewhere without any neighbourhood watch :0) And it all seems  colour saturated and clear as an expressionist painting

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading it, Di. I know so many people who adore wolves. It's time to change people's perception. Thanks again and merry Christmas to you. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Turlough on

This is great Paul.

Very well chosen words to conjure up the atmosphere of the wintry forest and an ending to keep us wondering.

Good on you!

Turlough

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading it, Turlough. Merry Christmas to you. Paul

 

Submitted by agnosticnun on

Oh, wonderful - the gradual build-up of imagery, the dread from allusion to the earlier tale, and the surprise at the end! 

Kristi

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thank you for reading it and the feedback. Much appreciated. Paul

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

I love the retelling of folk tales. This is a great ending to the familiar story. As the old woman opens the door, all seems as we expect it to be, and then such a lovely twist at the end. The descriptive language is wonderful, too. Very well deserved POD.

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thanks for reading it, Jane. Glad people liked it. It makes writing the pleasure it can be. Thanks again and wishing you a very, merry Christmas. Paul :)

 

Submitted by celticman on

a company of wolves, you make me want to join them too.  

 

Submitted by marandina on

Never gonna happen. You will ALWAYS be a Celtic man.

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi, marandina,

An interesting retelling of ages old tale. Maybe wolves aren't that bad after all ! Lovely language throughout, Paul.

hilary    smiley

 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thank you for reading it, Hilary. Much appreciated. Hope you had a good Christmas. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Hades502 on

I had to go back and read a slightly older one of yours. This was pretty cool. Interesting little twist for a poem.

GGHades502

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