Poem: "The Goatherd Troll"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem came out of the October Crowdfunding Creative Jam.  It was inspired by a prompt from stryck who then went on to write another poem inspired by it.  Read the related poem "Horns and Hooves" by stryck.  I decided that posting this one was only fair in return.

Saanen goats look like this.  They are a very popular breed of dairy goat.

The Goatherd Troll

The troll does not live under a bridge,
but in a tidy little cabin up the mountain
where the grass grows in sheltered meadows.

He keeps a herd of thirty white Saanens,
their calm temper a soothing presence,
their bells like distant music.

He milks them every morning and every evening,
ushering each one into the stanchion
with a scoop of grain and a kind word.

Let other trolls mug the travelers for their gold.
He makes soft white cheese to sell in the market
and daisy chains to share with the human girls.