Gary the Scary Troll
by Mike Dailey
There’s a boy in our town
Everybody puts down
They say he’s a scary troll
Though we haven’t met yet
I’ll make you a bet
That’s going to be my next goal
They say Gary is scary
And Gary is hairy
And Gary lives down by the bridge
His head is too little
His nose bends in the middle
And his eyebrows form kind of a ridge
The hair on his back
Is darker than black
And stiff kind of like an old wire
While the hair on his head
Is flaming orange-red
And poofed up a half-a-foot higher
He has hair on his toes
A big wart on his nose
And his two teeth are yellow and green
His left arm is longer
His right arm is stronger
The weirdest kid you’ve ever seen
We went, me and my friends
Where the gravel road ends
And the bridge arches up over the creek
We crept up real slow
And we whispered, “Hello”
For we were too scared to speak
When he saw us he hid
Why’d he do what he did?
Was he scared or just a bit shy?
He had a long chin
But when he would grin
You couldn’t help but like the guy
When Gary peeked out
And looked all about
And seeing it’s only us three
He waved and he smiled
Like a little lost child
And we knew just how friendly he’d be
So we sat for a while
Shared many a smile
And got to know him as friend
We would joke and discuss
And found he’s just like us
And a regular guy in the end
He wasn’t a troll
Just a scared and lost soul
Who thought that he couldn’t fit in
When we got to know Gary
We found he wasn’t scary
Just a friend that we had yet to win
Yes, we liked to play ball
Chase the leaves in the fall
Build snowmen when we had good snow
In the spring we picked flowers
Rode our bikes for long hours
And always had places to go
Gary the troll
Wasn’t really a troll
He was a kid just like me
When my hair is all messed
And I’m sloppily dressed
That’s just how a young boy can be
You see, looks just don’t matter
Whether you are thinner or fatter
Taller or smaller than others
You just have to decide
What they are deep inside
Then you can call them all brothers
About the Poet
Mike Dailey is a poet in southeast North Carolina living near Sunset Beach with his wife of 50+ years. His poems have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. His poetry can be serious, topical, or very moving but he is known more for his rhythm and rhyme poetry with a twist of humor. He has had three books of poetry collections published and a dozen more in draft form.
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Image is in the Public domain.
