At the bottom of the garden

Is that a fairy, elf or gnome?

I’m sure I saw among the bluebells

A tiny snail shell home

Some say fairies live in foxgloves

With their fluted purple bell

If they can sleep inside a flower?

Could they live inside a shell?

An excerpt from a poem that I wrote on the excellent Rachel Piercey’s poetry course with the poetry school.

When I stayed with a friend in her caravan on the Isle of Skye named ‘Snail Cottage’ I couldn’t help but think who might be small enough to live in an actual snail shell and so this poem and illustration was born.