Poem: "Affuage"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem is spillover from the May 16, 2023 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from helgatwb. It also fills the "rabbit" square in my 5-1-23 card for the Pets and Animals Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the series Quixotic Ideas.


"Affuage"
n 1753 -1847 right to cut wood in a forest for family fire


Learning to get along
with nonhuman neighbors
could mean the difference
between life and death.

Thieves rarely survived
sneaking into the faery forest.

A family who shared a bit of
butter or left the last berries
on the brambles for the fey,
however, would receive
in return the right of affuage.

They could go into the trees
to cut fuel for the family fire.

They could also gather
food such as mushrooms
and acorns, even set snares
for small game like rabbits
and birds and squirrels.

If there was a baby born
before the older sibling was
weaned, the mother could go
to a hollow hill to offer it up
for adoption instead of
simply abandoning it.

If a fey wished to learn
about humans by becoming
a changeling, there was usually
a childless couple happy to help.

If a boy wanted to sow his wild oats,
there were woodwives eager to oblige,
since they had no men of their own.

Likewise, a girl could go a-Maying
among the fauns if she had a hard time
getting with child, and they'd solve that.

Villages had a whitesmith to work tin
and a greensmith to work copper
in addition to a blacksmith for iron --
and the blacksmith took care to keep
any scraps from straying to make trouble.

It wasn't always easy for folks to get along,
with so many differences between humans
and fey, but was easier than dealing with
the problems that came when they didn't.

The right of affuage reminded everyone
to ensure a fair exchange, to see that
each family had enough to get by, and
to take only as much as they needed.

It wasn't easy, but it was enough.

* * *

Notes:

Whitesmith is another term for tinsmith.

Greensmith is another term for coppersmith.

Comments

[technoshaman]

FINALLY, some RESPECT! Herself will remember what you have done here; you have earned a similar right.

(And we need a new icon.)

[helgatwb]

This is absolutely amazing. I adore the synergy, the gestalt, the harmony, and the way the disparate peoples work together. Words are not wording right now, but I hope that you understand what I'm trying to say.

I think I'm going to like this new series.

On a separate note, I would be willing to try and make an icon for you, if you want.

[the_broken_tower]

It's good to see mixed communities that are collaborative instead of combative.

- Baren (he/him)