I, Dragon

Please

Allow me to introduce myself

I am called Sky Rider

I was born from a figment

Of my creator's imagination

Conjured, fabricated and devised

In the dark reaches

Of a tormented tortured soul's

Desire for freedom from requiem's

Dirge of a droll and dull existence~

So mighty was his desire for transformation

He foolishly sought the abettance of Finola

The most cunning of the witches

To concoct for him a terror most sublimely dark~

Into the cauldron went ingredients trusted

Tried and true, eye of newt

Toe of frog, adders fork, lizards leg

Owlet's wing and blind worm's sting

Lock of child most human, a charm

Of trouble most disastrous

Lava from Vesuvius, oil of turpentine,

Water from the Everlasting spring, wing of bat,

Dash of human understanding, pinch of human speech

Salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar, and paprika

And lastly, yes lastly, breath of wind

Harnessed from the eye of the storm

Like a hell broth, to boil and bubble

Finola knew, you see

The perfect measures of garnish and trimmings

Blended to the right proportions

To wrought a creation

As perfect as I,

DRAGON!

I, you see, was to be Frankenstein

His monster, born to justify his rage

Black as night by day

White as pure light by night~

Only I, to his great consternation

Am handsomely beautiful

Graceful of flight, stunningly well formed

Attractively proportioned, a breather of fire

And master of the air and sky

In short, a disappointment to the dark HIM~

So out he tossed me and Finola

She, to Witch Haven returned

Into the dark forest went I

This powerful sorcerer neither wanted beauty

Nor love, nor light~

In a lovely yet manly cave

I made my home, high in the mountains

Far from sight

All alone, I pondered the concept

Of welcomed companions large or small~

Far below, the forest was alight by day

Food was plenteous and varied

To the north, green and lusciously abundant

To the west, dark and unwelcoming

Except to the dark dwellers averse to light~

Here walked a lonely child

All forlorn and lost

Came the whispers upon the wind

The birds sang of danger

The dwellers of the forest floor

Yipped and pipped and screamed

Of danger to one so small~

Down I went, past the waterfalls

Past the fishes frolicking playfully

The deer and wildlife loping along

Where butterflies, dragonflies and moths

Make their merry dances and carouses wildly~

Beyond this peaceful beauty

Trembling in the darkness of the Forest

Found I, the tiny lost traveler all alone

Pursued by hungry beasts that slowly

Tiptoes closer and closer

While Finola from afar with all seeing eyes

Keep beasts at bay with spells and charms~

Belching angry flames from high

Beasts are charred, scorched and singed

Bellowing awfully, they scamper

Far and wide to lick their wounds~

The child swoons from fright and heat

I gather the little bundle, who

Picked up by britches strong

Is held betwixt strong teeth

To the cave for sleep and rest~

Upon awakening, the child cries

I want my momma, she sputters

Where is your momma, little one

She closed her eyes and never opened them again

I have a new momma

She is mean, so I ran away~

Dragon sent Finola poking into human matters

Nadia, the child had lost her momma

A mean stepmother now rules the cave

Father being oblivious to his child's plight

Blinded by greed mistaken for love

To Nadia a fortune is bequeathed

Quietly stepmom nudges the unsuspecting

Towards the dark and deadly forest~

Stepfather hearing of his child's plight

Goes looking at top speed forgetting

Danger and praying for her safety

Runs smack into dragon

Who waits eagerly for word

Stepmother too, feigns concern

Speeding fast upon the heel

Of husband, lest he finds the child~

Dragon glares angrily at both

Knowing the hearts of both

I will bring the child tomorrow

She is safe and sound

Now go, return here on the morrow

Same time, same place

They turned to go

Husband in front

Step mother close behind~

Dragon swooped, mouth wide open

Swallows in one gulp, stepmother

Dragon flew hastily into the sky

Maybe there is Frankenstein

Encased somewhere within him after all

Husband is sorely perplexed

Stepmom was never seen or heard from again

He tells the story, that somehow wild animals

Set upon her, grabbed her and ran away

He gave chase but to no avail

Sadly and alas, she was gone~

As agreed, the child is returned to father, Flint

Flint agrees to grant visitation, to a dragon

He silently muses to himself, still

Had it not been for this great handsome creature

His child might not be alive

Life went on

Finola, sensing dragon's loneliness

Whenever Nadia was away

Returned once more to her cauldron

Only this time she added heart of kindness

And secret spices and graces aplenty

Cunning wiles and feminine strength

A most comely companion for dragon

Was her wonderous gift to him

Not long after, Nadia had little sky riders

Added to her little flying family tree~

So that is the tale

Of how Nadia became the first Dragon rider of her day

After spending an inordinate number of years

With her friends the dragons

And Finola, her aunt

She became a legend

And an example for dragon riders to come~

True story of fiction!

N.A.

N.B. Some witch's potion ingredients from Shakespeare's cauldron in Macbeth.

Dragon pics from Bing wallpaper.