DRAGON POEM
Once on a journey, I met a strange fate,
In the darkness of night, I'd stayed up too late.
The morning was dreary, and I'd been too weary,
To do much more then to stumble into a cave.
You might guess, though I was too tired at best,
To realize I might not be alone.
For the cave which I'd stumbled, wouldn't be humbled,
A dragon had made it his home!
An eye of coal, a foot of flame,
The dragon groaned loudly when demanding my name.
Frightened, so fearful, I couldn't reply,
But the dragon just opened his other eye.
What could I say? What could I do?
Being this close to a dragon was downright taboo!
"Oh, come now, " says he in an honest tone,
"you've come to seek treasure, and carry it home!"
"Uh", said I, in a brilliant way, "uh" again, that's twice now today.
Then though struck me, as sometimes they do,
"Actually, sir, I've come to see you!"
"Me, " he asked, perplexity there, "you dare to seek me within my lair?"
"Well, sir", not wanting to admit, it was an accident
That brought me here to his pit,
"That is, we have some trouble in our castle fair,"
"Which we believe you could help with,"
"If you'd like to live and work there."
"You see, it is this way, stone castles are cold,"
"And we'd like to be warmed by a flame we've been tol',"
"Melts shields, sword and lances and makes diamonds from coal."
"Ah", said he, with a wink of an eye, "'tis the pressures the trick,"
"To make diamond glass stick."
"But say," he asked, "why would I want to stay?"
"If my home I would flee, what's in it for me?"
"Why, gold, solid gold, and gems form your, er, tail to your head."
"You see, Sir Dragon, our treasury would be they bed."
"And if you were hungered, you'd need only ask,"
"And a cow will quickly be brought, for your dragon repast."
"What better guard, than a dragon, indeed,
"To guard the treasury from would-be thieves!"
"Well, " says he, "I guess now's the time,"
"After all, I'm way past my prime."
"Do you know how hard it is with no one to speak,"
"Fighting for food, and guarding your keep?"
"When it's your blood they want, and your treasure they seek?"
"Magic, indeed, I've got it in plenty,"
"Yet they want my life, not my knowledge, for money."
"Imagine how hard it is to trust,"
"With swords aimed for your neck, and javelins thrust!"
"They'd take my head, if I'd let them get close,"
"Just for a name, a feast and a toast."
"Oh gladly will I pay for food with mine air,"
"And gladly, indeed, will I guard thy castle, My lair!"
"And so it was settled, that very day,"
Though I nearly lost my head,
When the king had heard, what I had done,
But gave me a bag of gold instead!
Now when a cold wind threatens us,
Or an army camps outside,
Our friendly furnace sing tales of old,
Then he comes alive!
There is nothing but one thing, he cannot withstand,
That is the death of age,
But comforts us even at life's end,
This fearsome, but friendly, sage.
Even the children, fear him not,
For when the castle work is done,
They gather 'round this mighty beast,
For his rides of romping fun.
What is the moral of this tale,
Which comes now to an end?
Simplicity in and of itself:
Your enemy, if given half a chance,
May become your favorite friend.