As Told by the Giant, by Stefan Karlsson

Fee, yes, the smallest fee is all I ask
of any strangers who dare to trespass
in my lair. It seems a common courtesy
to come with bread or something sweet.
So fie upon him who comes with naught
but thieving thoughts and muddy boots
to ruin my rugs and spoil my sleep.
The house I keep is clean, complete
with fuzzy blankets, shelves of books.
Only a foe, a crook, would fix
to disturb such a humble abode.
And fum! How to explain what fum’s about?
Well I don’t know where you come from
but if a Giant loves one thing – just one –
it’s fum! And surely you, safe at home,
would fume and fuss if an unwelcome
brute wormed its way into your room
without a fee, fie! A foe who hates fum!
So you understand, I just had to eat him.

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Stefan Karlsson is a poet and artist based in Portland, Oregon. He received his MFA in Poetry from the University of California-Irvine. His poems (for children) have appeared in The Dirigible Balloon, Paddler Press, and Little Thoughts Press, and his poems (for adults) have appeared in Fourteen Hills, Sugar House Review, and Spillway, among others. His paper marbling artwork can be found on Instagram @nautiluspaper, and his poetry for kids can be found on Twitter @stefkidlit.