Monday 29 April 2013

Here Be Dragons

Drak

In his lair high in the hills
Drak stirs himself and sighs.
His breath is hot and venomous,
there's hunger in his eyes.

Raising up his mighty head
he shakes and stretches out,
front legs, back legs, body,
from his tail up to his snout.

Time, he thinks, to take some food,
a cow perhaps, or horse.
This won't last him very long,
it's just a snack of course.

As he emerges from the cave
the sun shines down upon
his bright bluegreen metallic scales,
then, in a flash, he's gone.

Glancing over fields below
his keen long ranging sight
had seen a herd of cattle,
and he instantly took flight.

Down he plummets, down and down
until the cows are near.
His breath is hot upon them
and they scatter now in fear.

He picks one out and chases it,
his breath a scorching blast,
with one almighty snap! the cow
expires and breathes its last.

But Drak is not yet satisfied,
his hunger not assuaged.
He fixes one more in his glance,
the distance keenly gauged.

Once more the awesome jaws descend,
the dreadful teeth unite.
Another cow is swallowed up
with one enormous bite.

With dripping jaws he savours it,
this taste is one he likes,
then to his lair he goes til next
he wakes and hunger strikes.


© 2004

Adragora

Andragora, ancient one,
eyes afire and breathing flame,
scintillating scarlet scales gleam
and glisten.
Listen, listen!
Hear the sound of mighty wings,
batlike wings, beating
beating
beating, like a big bass drum.

Galleon of the starry skies
sailing high above a city
pretty from a distance.

Outlined on a milky moon,
magical, mysterious,
now just a silhouette
and soon to be a memory,
awesome legendary creature,
straight from my dreams.

© 2004


Chung Tao

Chung Tao sits coiled
drowsily dreaming 'neath a willow
beside a rippling river.

His golden scales
shine and shimmer, glimmer
in the morning light.

Sights of emperors past and present,
palaces and precious pearls
mingle in his mind.

After a while he wakens.
Becoming aware he rises.
The mighty horned head turns

as glittering eyes eagerly
watch the flickering
fins of many fish.

Rousing himself, he plunges
into cold refreshing waters, 
lunges, open mouthed.

Success! He bites, and savours
the fresh piscine flavours
flooding from his catch.

Centuries of experience
count for much it seems,
compensate for ancient bones.

A quick flick of his tail
brings him back onto the bank 
to resume his reverie.

© 2004

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