My Elf in Faded Green

He’s been with me since I was wee,
my Elf in Faded Green.
I’ve not seen him,
but I know he’s here with me
because my Daddy told me so.

He lived so long ago
in that storage bin.
He never showed himself,
but I knew that he was there
because my Daddy told me so.

He’s been with me all these years,
helping me through hard times
and laughing with me through all the good.
How do I know,
because my Daddy told me so.

He’s so much older now, my elf, as I am old.
So many years have passed since I first learned about him,
but he’s been with me every moment,
sitting on my shoulder. I know,
because my Daddy told me so.

Now, as I walk through the forest
leaning on my crooked staff
and looking for that certain tree,
I can imagine what we look like, my elf and me,
to the fairies and the elves who, unseen, are watching us.

His cheeks are rosy, his beard white,
and his hair is long and straggly.
His bright green tunic has faded, as has his pointed hat
but I don’t mind, he’s still my protector. I know,
because my Daddy told me so.

Wait! I do know what he looks like now, and I was right,
His cheeks are rosy, his beard white,
and his hair is long and straggly.
His bright green tunic has faded, as has his pointed hat
How do I know?
Because I took a picture, a Polaroid,
and there, sitting on my shoulder,
with rosy cheeks and all, is my Elf in Faded Green.

My Daddy’s gone now, but he’s smiling down at me,
because he knows that I know,
what he told me so long ago was true.

Vi
©January 16, 2006