Ode to Goblin Market

“We must not look at goblin men,

We must not buy their fruits:

Who knows upon what soil they fed

Their hungry thirsty roots”

It has been spoken, written and drawn.

A warning.

Whispered between teenagers on stools.

Taught through rehearsed words, echoing those before them.

A cautionary tale told to girls all through time.

Stern scolding, the righteous finger pointing,

The blame befalling on those wounded.

A primal fear woven into the hearts of the young,

To never look at them in the eye:

Never show more than you can give them,

Never blame them for what is natural to them,

Never give the Goblins what they want.