The Gnome

He stands behind the garden wall
tucked in among the plants,
with butterflies and bumblebees,
some spiders and some ants.

He measures almost one foot tall
(that’s if you count his hat!).
Although he may be very small
you wouldn’t call him fat.

His beard is white; his hat is red;
his coat is navy blue.
And if you look real close you’ll see
his eyes are clear blue too.

There is a twinkle in those eyes
you’d be surprised to see.
As if he knows what you don’t know.
Now just what could that be?

He doesn’t move, no not at all.
He’s like a palace guard.
But there is something out of place;
that’s if you look real hard.

He isn’t standing in the spot
where he was yesterday.
Did someone move the garden gnome?
How did he get that way?

You know he was there all day long,
although it was quite hot.
But he just stood there straight and short;
he never left that spot.

But no one knows what happened next,
not in the fading light.
Where did he wander afterwards
when daytime turned to night?

Just down the street, not far away,
there is a pretty gnome.
And there she stands all by herself
behind another home.

This garden gnome is really cute,
as cute as she can be.
She plays her part and waits all day
until no one can see.

When daylight falls and darkness comes,
the gnomes can move around.
Like little people that they are,
they stay close to the ground.

And if you listen carefully
you might just hear a call,
a whisper and some laughing, too,
behind that garden wall.

Now, no one knows what happens there
or what those gnomes might do.
But take a look at that cute gnome.
Her eyes are twinkling too!