GNOME ENID
I support a small local charity
and each year I help at its annual bazaar.
The proceeds go to an African village
where it places roofs over children’s heads
and provides them with free schooling
and a foundation for their future.
At the end of this year’s bazaar
all the rubbish was collected together
and sitting there among the debris
was a small concrete object
covered in mud and moss and lichen.
No one wanted it or knew what it was.
Being curious I took it home
and some weeks later when cleaning the patio
I aimed the jet washer at it.
Soon a smooth oval top emerged:
the top of a mushroom - and underneath
there was a small door with a sign above it.
The sign declared the name of the occupant:
Gnome Enid,
and as I carried on washing the dirt away
a window appeared
and there peering out,
was Gnome Enid smiling back at me.
It’s only a small concrete object
and perhaps it’s a bit tacky
but I’m pleased I saved it from the skip.
I always say hello to Enid when I pass by
and it pleases me to think that her home
is now secure in the garden.
Every day I see Gnome Enid’s face
looking out contentedly
and I’m reminded of the charity
which provides shelter and hope
for those young children
far away in Africa.