The snow began to melt A cave became exposed I thought I heard the subtle cry Of someone there enclosed
I brushed away the snow Exploring through the drift I used my frozen fingers to Examine sort and sift
I heard the cry again It sounded like a girl I broke the ice away And found another world
And chained there to the wall A beauty fair and tall Imagine how I felt it made No sense to me at all
She cried, oh set me free I pledge myself to thee I’ve been here such a long long time Before prehistory
I wanted to believe her And what else could I do? I knew I must relieve her so I pried the chain in two
I put the prying shoe back on Before the frost could bite But as I knelt there on the floor I saw the change of light
I looked back at the girl My head began to swirl Her skin had turned to dragon-scale I tried to run to no avail
With but a single claw She pulled me to her maw Then taken with my innocence She paused and uttered, “aw!”
She pulled me in instead And made me a straw bed She fed me cakes and dragon steaks And good hot dragon’s bread
Until the melt was over We lived and laughed as friend But when the season turned back hard I left to tend to my own backyard
And over that long winter time I tried to tell those friends of mine None of them believed it though The secret lies beneath the snow
Joseph John Racano
Artwork by: Cara
Queen of the Dragoness
Shrouded from view by the veil of her jungle Steamy contempt for the weak and the humble Beautiful Dressa they call her by name Queen of the Dragoness one and the same
Misshapen hominids kneel at her feet Waving their fronds over smoldering peat Burning the dragonspice, chanting her name Guarded by monsters of DragonLord fame
Beautiful Dressa, heiress of dark Low on her shoulder seen bearing the mark Black opals woven in long braided tresses Devilish angel in native grass dresses
Mounting black Anticorn, darker than pitch Merciless dragonsteed bearing the witch The witch they call Dressa, she born to the pillage Showering fire down onto the village
Then to return by the jungles’ first light For beautiful Dressa was born to the night Now for her bath in the hot ruby springs Queen of the Dragoness, daydream of kings
*Featuring Dressa, (the temptress created for and featured in ‘The Drunicorn’) and *DragonLord, (created for and featured in 'DragonLord of Time'), by Joseph John Racano
Quest for the Dragon Sapphire
Part I
The map was drawn in an ancient hand In a time when monsters walked the land Locked for an age in an underground vault ‘Till an earthquake cracked through the stone basalt
Found by a peasant in a bog of peat Almost trampled ‘neath his shoeless feet It began to crumble in the clear fresh air And was sold to a merchant at the olde towne fair
Who himself turned a profit when the map was sold To a man specializing in both gems and gold With designs on recovery and acquisition Thus began the Dragon Sapphire Expedition
Long rainy nights by the wax of candle Holding to a magnifying glass by handle Sleeping in the morning, tired head on desk Map of Dragon Sapphire hidden in his vest
Part II
Finally it was time to lay a fortune down Making rich the builder of ships in towne Something that could navigate the roughest seas I’m out to seize the Dragon Sapphire- hurry please!
Soon the builder laid a long and sturdy keel Pausing but to sleep and for a decent meal Giving me the time to set affairs in order Just in case my final days were on that water
The wood was heated and bent for the beam Treated with a mix of blood, sweat and steam And upon the drydock a ship did arise The majesty of which brought water to the eyes
I paid the man gold enow to fill his pail Soon it would be time to thus embark, set sail Made the last decisions, took on the provisions Lastly to the parlor for tattooing incisions
Part III
Following the map, we crossed the darkest seas Gale upon the sail, a never gentle breeze Then a fateful evening came a sunset red Entering the Harbor of the Gargoyle’s dread
Unbeknownst to many of the good ship’s crew Sapphire turned the flame of all the lantern’s blue Signifying this to be indeed the place The Sapphire of the Dragon and a need for pace
Out upon the water deep enough for sharks Two men in a skiff at midnight disembarks Entering a portal where no mortals dare Holding up a lantern flaming blue in the air
Once inside the grimace of the gargoyles grin The maw began to close and they were now closed in With no way out, it was a one-way trip And no way to communicate with their good ship
Part IV
There upon the cavern wall as large as life Fastened by the giant ring of Drago’s wife Shouting to the eyeballs in a Prussian blue Hung the Dragon Sapphire which spoke to the two
‘Whosoever passes through the gargoyle’s grin Never may return to either land nor friend All the gems you see are yours, and yours alone But you are trapped forever in these walls of stone’
The men reached down and cradled giant scoops of blue Knowing there was no one they could offer them to Then the sailor offered up the ancient map ‘In return for freedom- and a ton of that’
Deep within the Sapphire came opposing views Other colors giving in to vibrant blues Several boulders loosened from the cavern wall ‘Leave without the map and don’t return at all’
epilogue
Through gargoyles grimace frightened sailors sped Deciding they preferred a ruby’s red Back on the ocean with a-hoisted sail Half a ton of Sapphires, and a timeless tale
The day had begun as had every most other Fish were to catch and be shared with my brother Winding the nets to be spread widely cast Tying down bait that it goodly hold fast
Then came a scent wafting in on the breeze Nothing familiar from deep in the seas Or some passing vessel with garbage to spare Befouling the ocean and tropical air
Standing onshore with my back to the sea Felt chill on my back from the neck to the knee Finished with tying the bait pieces down Curious me I turned slowly around
Then I beheld a great lie from my eyes Something so tall it was scraping the skies Some crocodilian come dinosauria Up to the clouds from the deep mines of Moria
I ran with my mind though I froze where I stood Mayhap man’s payback for so much no good Sent to mete justice from some cosmic source A dragon of judgement without the white horse
I finally broke free from the chains of my fear Prayed in my hut as the dragon drew near When I emerged the next morning at dawn The fishing was good and the monster was gone
Plodding through rice fields while rounding a mountain I stopped for a drink from a natural fountain Sun blotted out as I filled up a flagon I turned but to see a fantastic white dragon
Took all of the mount to conceal his white frame Caught his attention and closer he came Sixty-foot scales each encarvened with scrimshaw Like Moby Dick perhaps even an in-law
Rain thundered down from his saurian jaws Brighter than lightning his albino claws Frozen in place I in fear stood my ground With a woosh of his tail o’er my head he turned ‘round
On the end of a thousand-foot neck was his head Set down beside me and filled me with dread Mirrored my form with an eye like a cat Buckled my knees I fell back there I sat
Sizing me up eye as big as a boulder Gargantuan wink blew my hair off my shoulder Exhaled a whirling tornado of fire Lifted his head going higher and higher
Up on all fours the beast rounded the mountain Soon disappeared left me there at the fountain Back to my business I filled up my flagon Vowing to never forget the white dragon
Joseph John Racano
When Dragons Fly
Once upon a murky mountain In a cave with walls of soot A young intrepid wanderer Read that magic was afoot
Inside there was shelter Outside raged a storm But soon enough his sojourn took A detour from the norm
The rocks below held much guano Enough to fill a wagon But there amidst did too exist The droppings of a dragon!
Brave and young, he held his tongue For one gasp might awaken Whatever beast had made the dung For all he knew, a Kraken!
His tiny campfire dying out He heard a hooting owl He searched for kindling all about And then he heard a growl
Something deep inside the cave Had woken up, was stirring Perhaps attending to the brood Of dragon-kitts heard purring
Our handsome hero of a long-lost time Was here but for the shelter He had no stomach for solving crime Though clues lay helter-skelter
He was just a passing guest And if dragon’s lair it be The storm could rage whilst he did rest All is fine, thought he
He then awoke to footsteps echo And other-worldly chanting Somewhere near the giant gecko Clearly was now panting
‘Sleep ye dragon all the more Your kitts will soon need feeding A stranger sleeps inside your door I feel his red heart beating’
At this the hero left the cave Back out into the storm Never stupid, only brave And thankful to be warm
The weather broke quite soon thereafter Scarlett turned the sky Our hero did avert disaster Now the dragons fly!
Joseph John Racano
It Came from Turkey Point
Betty Sue just loved the glide Of an early-morning air-boat ride The breeze was warm the air smelled fresh The wind kept ‘skeeters off her flesh
The birds flew by, the water glistened Now they stopped the boat and listened The crickets sang as did large frogs Who nested nearby in the bogs
But as they drifted through the plants Their attention shifted to giant ants Perhaps because they smoked a joint Or was it nukes from Turkey Point?
Her mama warned her time and again: ‘That power plant is not yer friend They’s stuff that grows that no one knows You get too close, that be the end’
About this time a croc appeared To her surprise, it had a beard Behind that croc were two long tails And claws with rainbow-colored nails
The second croc caused quite a shock As it hauled itself up on a rock With eyes of green and scales of white It constituted quite a sight
Betty Sue had had enough ‘Let’s go home, the water’s rough’ And that’s when out behind a tree Appeared gigantasaur croc three
His tongue was like an anaconda Better suited for Wakanda Displayed such teeth as you never saw He spat radiation from his gaping maw
The airboat fan blade come propeller Launched them away from the scaly feller ‘Pedal to the metal’ shouted Betty Sue And Turkey Point nuke plant faded from view
And the moral of the story as it was told Is, ‘Don’t go by there if you wanna grow old The crocs grow large and it never gets cold Now come help me scrape the radioactive mold’
Joseph John Racano
Dedicated to the radioactive crocodiles of Homestead, Florida
The Last Dragon
He stood astride a mountain pass And pondered there on ages past His roots stretched back to a dark antiquity But none of a future could his emerald eyes see
With claws enow to tear asunder Armies as he roared like thunder E’en his unmatched skill in fight Lay fawn before the lions’ might
The lion of time, the one great leveler Long of tooth, and great tooth beveler The dragon’s fang but half what it used to be On empty nest no nestling calls to thee
Spread your wings like sails of leather Fly up into storm and weather Scaly limbs a tree trunk grips With poison talons and razor tips
Belch your screetch out ‘cross the plain Your saurian back awash in rain But none to answer save cruel echo Farewell the dragon, enter the gecko
One last war against the Gryphon One last jewel-encrusted mission What use diamonds baubles and the rest When none but dragon can lift the chest
Scour land and search the sea But there are no more left like me What is life without a friend Dragon line comes to an end
Haunting laughter fills the sky Dragons don’t know how to cry So he laughs and drops the chest to a thousand fathoms and a thousand-year rest
Joseph John Racano
Fingerdragon
I went on a hike in a very strange place And lay down to rest with the sun on my face But when I awoke I was staring at space For the day was now gone without leaving a trace
And there in the darkest of skies in the night A diamond was moving impossibly bright I half closed my eyes and was blinded by light Then opened them up to a beautiful sight
Somehow a gem of translucent steel blue Gently had landed on top of my shoe It crackled and hissed and spat misty red goo And out popped a dragon with 'how do you do?'
Amazed as I was I bent down for a look So tiny was he that my neck got a crook And this was no fantasy drawn in a book Both nostrils smoked and each claw had a hook
I never presumed that the dragon was mine He wanted to join me and that was just fine His scales were quite golden and fancy design His kisses were many and tasted like brine
He cleaned out the attic of spiders and mice Drew on the walls and made everything nice No indoor fire as per my advice Whatever I said he repeated it twice
Hey Dragon, said I; Dragon Dragon said he Head out to the campfire and heat up the tea Tonight we will fish and I'll show you the sea Fish fish said the dragon as he followed me
After a while my friend had grown large I barely restrained him from eating a barge Which triggered complaints from a neighbor named Marge She called the police and they sent in the sarge
'Your friend has to go' said the uniformed man Please try to do it as fast as you can He's trouncing on buildings, we don't have a plan' Say your goodbyes and then tell him to scram'
And so it was done with a sniff and a tear 'I love you, dear Dragon but you can't stay here I'll meet you tomorrow and buy you a beer Move into Grand Canyon, and take all your gear'
My buddy was cheerful and wagged his barbed tail Dragons are always that way without fail No natural enemies, none on their trail Compared to a dragon all others seem frail
The dragon and I recollected at length We spoke of the good times, the fire and strength He tossed me a geode and said 'there's the rent' Sucked down a cold one and got up and went
Later I found out the geode had power Centuries passed, that for me, were an hour Remaining a seed when the others went flower Allowed me to be there the next dragon shower
They found his Silurian skull on the beach Four hundred million years sun worth of bleach That was the lesson my dragon did teach Space, time and stars are all well within reach!
Joseph John Racano 7/5/15
The Serpent's Pardon
Deep within the serpents eye there dwells a deeper starry sky and when he coils you can see the model for our galaxy
Darting tongue, shedding skin smooth as glass, toothy grin Clad in scales, marked with art Long thin chest that shields his heart
Dragons kin, beast of the garden Blamed for sin- I beg your pardon
JR
Here the Dragons Be
There be scaly Dragons Monsters with a demons roar Unbeknownst lizurps at the planets foundry core
And sirens with ethereal song of such a pitch and beauty as to conquer any sailor doesn't pay a mind to duty
Monster Molas, Sunfish beaming Mermaids singing, Dugongs dreaming Manatees with human habits Oarfish circling shipwrecked abbots
A vessel comes about as a Captain barks Its crows nest shouts, and a bird disembarks Be gone, ye dragons- now come a sign! But the bird returns directly, no sign of land to find
Raging torrents, twelve foot seas Wood ships list to great degrees Check the star chart, pore the map Starbuck, where's the dark rum at?
Then surfaces a dorsal fin, bigger than a towne Scales of gold, the smell of mold, and droplets thundering down
Talons clutch the bridge with such a force as ne'r before A long, barbed tail whips the main sail and breaks the cabins door
And soon thereafter all falls still with no ship upon the sea Beneath the stars float only scars For here the Dragons be
Joseph John Racano 9/7/13
Temple of the Dragon
Step right in and you’re right on time There aren’t many steps it’s an easy climb Leave your baggage outside you have nothing to fear Your prejudice and pride aren't welcomed here
The dragon on the left represents your soul The serpent on the right, your ultimate goal The dragons on the roof represent the façade Worn by those who can’t accept that they are god
Every little finger and all your little toes Carry information all the Universe knows Every time you dream at night and every tear you cry Linked to constellations in a far-flung sky
So enter at your pleasure it has always been your fate The dragon’s here to welcome you and doesn’t mind the wait Many the surprises awaiting you inside The Eternal is your driver, the cosmos is your ride
Joseph John Racano
Dragonworld
Welcome to Dragonworld, nothing like Disney Throw us a bone and we’ll eat your frisbee We lie in fire, you prefer flannel Don’t try to rid us by changing the channel
Welcome to Dragonworld’s serpentine fire Slithering passion and scaly desire Nowhere on Earth are places like this Thunderstorms choke here, rain dies with a hiss
Dragonworld’s future is linked to before Here be the dragons as told of in lore Yes they will bite you and mayhap you’ll burn Survivors stay hidden if quickly they learn
Welcome to Dragonworld land of the beasts Littered with skeletal carcass of feast Come run your fingers along my cruel flank Smoothe to the touch in this land of the dank
Those a bit lucky may live to check out Tell of your nightmare whilst you are about Do not abscond with a one golden scale Or find your bones cast amongst those who have failed
Off now begone to the land of the living Dragonworld’s given ye all that it’s giving Stay to the light and hard cling to the staire Return at your peril be warned and beware
An agent from the West arrived with crossbow in a wagon “She’ll kill most any pest alive, and that’s no idle braggin” I looked up at the stranger as the last toe I was taggin’ I said, “I sure do hope you’re right, ‘cause this time it's a dragon” The rest arrived first one then two Soon we had the whole dang crew A compound bow, a gun, a sword Hotel check in, room and board
Sometime in the night we heard a cry up in the hills Not a hound unearthly sound enough to give me chills Sun-up couldn’t come too soon to push away that blood-red moon Rolled my sleeping bag cocoon and stirred black coffee with a spoon
Morning paper showed a fire, some prospector’s funeral pyre Acted brave but I’m a liar, stopped at church and heard the choir Mule team made the hills at dawn packed the horses then rode on Found that fire smokey damp, rain came down and we pitched camp
Sat in quiet that first night, starry sky was quite a sight Someone played an old guitar, all wished we was back at bar Felt the ground beneath us rumble, then the rocks began to tumble Somewhere high up on that hill, dragon looked down on his kill
Archer lit a flaming arrow, fast and true, a deadly sparrow Climbed straight up the mountain’s flank, dragon’s armor just went ‘clank!’ Then came fire raining down, burned us halfway back to town High above, a barbed tail waggin’- that's the last we hunted dragon!
Awaken yon dragon, awake from thine egg Finish the yolk with a bit of nutmeg Keep your mouth shuttered, I don’t want to burn You don’t know your power there’s much you must learn
Stand still and silent, your scales need a clean Polish bring out their magnificent sheen Patience yon dragon, so curious, yes Watch lest thou sharpest of claws ruin my dress
Time now to forage and learn the outdoors Fear not the sun there’s a mist on the moors See there yon mountains the land of your birth Play as a babe for too soon ends thine mirth
Zounds dear good dragon there buds do I see Sprouting from shoulders, great wings they shall be! Launching your strafing attacks from above Iron age armies show dragons no love
See how the seasons too quickly come hither Flowers of Spring meet the Winter and wither These are the years spent together in bliss Now my dear giant it comes down to this
Here on the road to Valhalla I leave you Many the days of my life I shall grieve you You can trust no one, let none near to greet you Stay to the skies and no army can beat you
Joseph John Racano
Dragonparts
When the dustbowl claimed the whole great plains It was used to store old parts and chains It covered an area a million square miles Rusty rims in forty-story piles
I was out there painting on my oxidized easel When a clanking started up and it smelled like diesel So I dropped my brush in the old red piston Stood up tall and took a good long listen
And up from a pile of shopping carts Rose a reptile made of industrial parts Taller than a smokestack, longer than a bridge Every tooth in his mouth used to be somebody’s fridge
I painted without moving too afraid to flex a muscle Capturing his essence every rivet and corpuscle When I finished touching up his metal chambered hearts Signed it at the bottom and I named it Dragonparts
Borne from a crystal and weaned by a mage Last known blue guardian of the written page Pinnacle of knowledge and Wyvern of hearts Raised to protect and well versed in dark arts
Organic computer, each file a blue scale Stores a great magic in barb of her tail Don’t underestimate else thee shall join Minions of vanquished now barbeque loin
Only for sorcerer mage does she yield Others lie charcoal ‘neath hole burnt in shield She with full knowledge of every black spell Dwells in the netherworlde just beyond hell
Guardian Wyvern shoots blood from her eyes Catching off guard those unwary, unwise Stashing their bones in a magic rune nook None may abscond with the Guardian’s book!
Left him for dead but the wizard arose Staff crooked bent and but rags were his clothes He tumbled the rocks left atop of his grave Now it was they who need run and be saved
He toward the fire ran back to the fray No good use dying and wasting away Hell raged around him as ne’er before Time now to summon the Dragon Keetor
Left, were great legions of carnage and spoil Right, slanted bastions and tumbling hot oil Soldiers in armor fought dragons-to-be The largest among them but up to one's knee
Down from the ramparts sharp arrows did rain Those without fire held poisons and pain Porcupine shields wore half-arrows and pits Burnt at the edges by hot dragon spits
The hordes of Arallu closed in from both sides Writhing humanity, horizonless tides When raggedy sorcerer gave death a detour Speaking the magic words summoning Keetor
Thus in an instant the land turned to plasma Shriveling all lungs that inhaled the miasma And so it happened, the legend lives on Of The Great Dragon Keetor and sorcerer’s wand
Now the horizon brings colorful news Dragons returning in reds and in blues Waving like ribbons and shaped like big eels One can but wonder how riding them feels
Long to the dangerous quest they have been Spiriting riders to battle dark sin Avarice hunters with specialized skills Some wearing scales representing their kills
Here they return to the bosom of Earth Entering worm holes designed for their girth Welcomed by sentries who stand at the doors And watch them approach through the fog off the moors
With ruby-red scales and a leather divider And no clear distinction ‘tween serpent and rider Only the sage may lay hand on the lever Red dragons are precious, our enemies clever
Throngs wave their sparklers in townships below Cheering the dragons and magical show Serpents and riders plunge into the clay Sages use incense to show them the way
Exit the serpentine thousand foot lords Monks in their long flowing robes quell the hordes Into their burrows the dragons lay wait Till next they must counter the forces of hate
Hold fast to your tether on Two-mile bridge These aren’t the dragons you stick on your fridge Be silent and swallow your anticipation Of flying white dragons in massive migration
Shoulder to shoulder we span the great valley Waiting for dawns great reptilian rally Sharing attentions ‘tween dragons of snow And uncertain destiny miles below
Then as first light pokes its head in the air Thousands of dragons appear with a flair Offering peasants a sight fit for kings Dragon-borne arrows on white flaming wings
They criss-cross a sky water-colored in hue Vapors cascading bright contrails of blue Over our heads fly the giant behemoths Swaying the bridge as they zoom underneath us
Off in the distance tall pointed gray spires Offer the eye everything it desires As once and again from the deep valley floor White dragons ascend with a guttural roar
Those on the bridge watch this awesome migration Having a care to avoid conflagration Then it is over as soon as begun Dragons recede and wings glint in the sun
Shrouded from view by the veil of her jungle Steamy contempt for the weak and the humble Beautiful Dressa they call her by name Queen of the Dragoness one and the same
Misshapen hominids kneel at her feet Waving their fronds over smoldering peat Burning the dragonspice, chanting her name Guarded by monsters of DragonLord fame
Beautiful Dressa, heiress of dark Low on her shoulder seen bearing the mark Black opals woven in long braided tresses Devilish angel in native grass dresses
Mounting black Anticorn, darker than pitch Merciless dragonsteed bearing the witch The witch they call Dressa, she born to the pillage Showering fire down onto the village
Then to return by the jungles’ first light For beautiful Dressa was born to the night Now for her bath in the hot ruby springs Queen of the Dragoness, daydream of kings
In a far-away land where the black shadows cower A reptile arose from a meteor shower Too large for a lizard but more dinosaurian Found as a dragon-child by a historian
Led to a cavern of comforting hay Offered a fatted young calf each the day Raised as diviner by method of harkness Schooled in the little-known ways of the darkness
Soon was outgrown any need for protection Brought to the river to see his reflection Then whereupon this child seeing his teacher Devoured him whole did this yellow-eyed creature
Bent down his head to the water to drink Quite fascinated to watch himself blink Soon realizing the might he possessed Decided a look from above would be best
Spreading his wings he flew into the sky Seeking a land where his craft he might ply He spent a few centuries burning and rending Then he grew up with his childhood ending
Now a full dragon he claimed dragon’s rights Every king suffered the dread of his bites Until such a day as was written in poem His mother arrived and escorted him home
Dragon Book of Spells ‘Thorn of a rose, eye of a toad Second hand chewing gum squashed in the road Foot of a rabbit, claw of a bear Finish line ribbon from the tortoise and the hare’
“Amazing Father Dragon! Is every single thing needed to return a kingdom back to rightful king?’ ‘That, my dear,’ the Dragon said, ‘is some of what’s required- Now stir it ‘round completely ‘till the timer has expired’
With her youthful energy she stirred it round and dutifully Wearing garb of necromancer and doing so quite beautifully But that so far was but a portion needed for the spell Father Dragon did read on when all had been stirred well:
'Feather of a vulture, whisker of a rhino Sprinkles from a mammoth tusk, a fossil from a dino
Blood tooth of a vampire bat, brow of a gazelle Something plucked from Mordor and a front doorknob from hell
Scale of ‘ouch!’ a dragon and the collar from a goat Splinter from a drawbridge and a tadpole from the moat
Teardrop of a virgin and the curled hair of a mole Caviar from Sturgeon and a flake from club of troll’
‘These are the ingredients, our recipe complete Warm it in the cauldron to a broth that’s fair to eat Send a note by pigeon, for the king must soon be told:
His potion’s ready and so are we for six wagons filled with gold’
Deep within winding Franciscan formations Gallant he treks on behalf of all nations Whilst char conflagrations lay waste to above His armor may tarnish but never his love
The object of which runs a comb through her hair Like golden perfume indescribably fair Though set to inherit a world that yet burns ‘Tis only for he that her beating heart yearns
And he far below holding only a sword Soon to confront mighty dragon and lord Whose scales to a drawbridge are easily rival Not even Zeus could ensure his survival
Now to his chamber an open cathedral Product of eons and earthquake upheaval There stood who might be the world’s bravest man Shield at the ready and sword in his hand
Spreading before him a body of water His fair reflection a lamb to the slaughter Ten yards away subterranean hell Tall as a fir tree red eyes cast their spell
The dragon was lizard-like craning its’ neck Feet of a crow covered mountains of drek Cavernous maw was a trap to be sprung With a fifty-foot long darting pythoness tongue ‘Hold!’ spake the dragon, ‘what business, who dares? Have you in order all worldly affairs? Come a bit closer, what have you, a sword? Armed with a toothpick and acting untoward’
The dragon was loud, every word was a bellow Sizing up this small but curious fellow To his surprise the young knight took a step Drew himself up just as high as could get
‘I come representing associate nations Currently burning from great conflagrations’ The dragon looked down, the knight looked in his eye ‘Before I wield sword may I just ask you why?’ ‘S-s-s-seems to me you are of courage and heart This is a battle that I did not start Men came attacking our fledglings with arrows Shooting us out of the sky as though sparrows’
‘Tell me brave knight what would you have us do? Roll on our backs and surrender to you? Look at us now, I’m 400 feet tall If I should burn you, you’ve no chance at all’
The knight raised his sword in non-threatening manner Then he invoked the god Thor and his hammer ‘From this day forward I give you my word Free from our arrows you shall fly like a bird’
epilogue The young man returned to his nation and bride Unto the peace did both parties abide Never again straying far from the path The dragons were safe as were men from their wrath
By the beard of Odin and a sorcerers breath Good King do awaken for I fear death O’er castle of granite has a shadow taken hold I know not its cast but it’s pungent and old
‘Begone meager peasant, I sleep until noon Accost me at peril of dungeon’s gray gloom Perhaps ‘tis a shadow and nothing the more Begone and be quiet or die on the floor!’
Awaken Good King for I do fear thine wrath But greater by far is this foul demon’s path Perhaps the old leper you smote in the village Was Merlin the sorcerer now come to pillage
‘Silence thine tongue, whilst thou standest there quaking Go find out why the whole castle is baking Ready the catapults, load and start hurling Bring me the head of the sorcerer Merlin!’
Awaken Good King I come bearing good news There is still time to run, let me hand you your shoes The old granite castle is soon to be smitten Those in the ramparts in half have been bitten
Grant us in all of your mercy and wisdom Royal permission to flee yon doomed kingdom Outside the horses and carriage sit ready Away pointing East to a ship at the jetty
‘Guards, take this cowardly peasant away I fought for this kingdom and here I shall stay And what is the use in our running away Be Merlin-spawn Dragon so fierce as they say?’
‘Call in the Queen let us dwell in her mercy Enter my love let me bow to thine curtsey Hot baking granite now falls on our home Stay by my side let us die on the throne’
epilogue So filthy the leper and lowly is he His red flashing eyes only wise men can see A beggar who shakes his tin cup to your wagon Show him respect for he might be a dragon
I walked along the shore on a day of gloom As the wind swept the ocean like a witch’s broom The inclimate weather had the beach deserted Alone with my thoughts is the way I preferred it
Hands in my pockets and my eyes to the sand Life wasn’t working out the way I had planned I thought perhaps to toss myself awash in the sea Leaving none to know whatever happened to me
Stumbling in the surf I raised my bloodshot eyes Searching out a reason for remaining alive When up about a mile on a crashing wave Struggling to the shore I spied a broken knave
It seemed to be a dragon with a broken wing I rubbed my weathered eyes believing no such thing The closer that I came believing less and less Until it stood before me with a heaving chest
Rather than be frightened I extended hand The dragon leaning forward falling nose in sand All at once I knew that I would try to save him Not allow his bones to be picked clean by raven
I folded up his wings and rolled him onto a blanket Dragged him to a fountain, turned it on and he drank it Took him to my home and he was healed in no time Watched him fly away into the morning sunshine
It was a late summer evening at the drive-in movie We were snuggled in my pickup everything was groovy There were popcorn kernels all over the place And lipstick kisses on the side of my face
The credits started rolling and so did we Passing by the bathrooms where I stopped to pee Heard a big commotion going on outside Crazy people running on the top of my ride
My girlfriend shouted ‘hurry!’ and she started to scream Pointed to the drive in theater movie screen I know you won’t believe it but I swear it’s true A dragon on the screen ate the projector crew
I recognized the monster from the early show But when the movie ended he refused to go I saw him in the background through the matinee I hopped into my truck and started speeding away
Came to a highway in the woods I knew My girl suggested we should take a shortcut through With the dragon in the mirror coming up behind us We had to get to somewhere that it couldn’t find us
Saw the giant shadow of his wings above Pulled the pickup truck into the tunnel of love That was where we spent the night a-popping corn And nine months later little Bobby was born!
Joseph John Racano
*Another installment in the 'Poetry of Dragons' collection
In crystalline Ice had long centuries lain Now Set, the Besieger is risin again A parting of Autumn storm clouds in the sky Could no longer stay that crepuscular cry
Directly descended from dragons of olde Cut from an unholy lineage mold Not of squishmallow come hither to fool them Besieger knows only to wreck ruin and rule them
Shrieking berserker swept wing Autumn lurker Stoop from on high comes the sharp-talon worker Prey disemboweler with deadly intent None saw him coming, but few where he went
Like his ancestors he leaves few remains Feathers and fur hewn to bone and red stains Black silhouette as he crosses the moon Look to the sky he returns again soon
note from the artist: TellerySpyro Hobbyist Digital Artist Thanks a lot for this great poem! You're really talented!
Dragonsweep
The ground was for to rumble The solid Earth to shake Rocks began to tumble The sky was raining hake
A fissure lay before me To bifurcate the land Obsequious the endless hordes Fell prostrate on the sand
And when the terra was agape A scaly giant stood Spat arbalest of fire on The evil and the good
Catapults but raised his ire Archers turned to run Coated with a phosphorus Hotter than the sun
Malfeasant kings beseeched their gods To rid them of this scourge Promising their fealty And fortunes to the Clerg’e
Their empty words fell on deaf ears With but more lies to follow And when the land was purged of tears The dragon it did swallow
Joseph John Racano 7/12/2020
Reptilian Sentinel
Dank is the crypt, catawampus in its nondiscript Altogether muddy and hewn askew, one of many among but few Forgotten owner once tossed and disregarded Yet somehow now lays jealously guarded
Threadbare cloth drooping from weathered sarcophagus Afterlife squeezed by large talons atop of this Pinning the soul of a rising undead Manifest monster once under the bed
Scaly behemoth outlasting his chains Aided by years of necropolis rains Here in the kirkyard where all falls to rust Sentinel reptile will see thee to dust
Here where the worst of men wasted their lives Butchered their brothers mistreated their wives Left heretofore in eternities yard Scaly reptilian sentinel guard
Joseph John Racano Another installment of the ‘Poetry of Dragons’ collection Art: Crystal Sully
Dragon Blast
Breakfast was had at the circular table Talk be of dragons but this was no fable Buxom young servants lay meat eggs and bread Mention of dragons had filled them with dread
Enter the king the room now only knights ‘This won’t be one of your typical fights’ There’s tell of our kingdom lands gone up in flames It may be a dragon out playing his games
I’m sending the very best men that I have Sharpen your swords and bring barrels of salve Bring me the dragon’s head dead and gone cold Each will be paid a king’s ransom in gold
‘Open the drawbridge’ came shouting the order One of the knights gave a last kiss to daughter ‘Back before dinner’ he boasted in hubris Master at arms in the lead said ‘let’s do this!’
Offward they galloped in heaviest armor Some thinking back to when things were much calmer No talk of dragons or other concerning Now in the distance they saw smoke and burning
‘Hold!’ said the scout pointing up to the sky ‘There be a dragon!’ the knights gave a cry Blazing with fury and faster than lightning No one had ever seen something so frightening
‘Dismount the horses’ yelled master at arms Broadswords were raised, stallions brayed the alarm Shields brought the crest of the kingdom to bare Dragon alighted and spat fire there
Shield sword and armor now too hot to hold Thoughts turned to living, not glory or gold Back at the castle keep young maidens yearned But none of their men-at-arms ever returned
Many times over we rose and we fell Kept on repeating our journey to hell Without a clear record to learn from the past Doomed to face dragons the same as the last
Thirsting for oil that nothing could quench Broke the Earth’s mantle releasing a stench Tell-tale aroma that spread carcinoma While people were lulled into taking their soma
With arrogant leaders still boasting their lies Dreq and his minions came flooding the skies Wells the world over erupted in flame Ever the stronger the dragons became
Oceans evaporated, destruction was total Hard be the lessons of Quetzalcoatl One more promethean planet to wreck God of the Toltec, we know him as Dreq
Late one night in the heat of Summer I tried to wake from deepest slumber With fits and starts and flailing arms I groped for clocks and slapped alarms
But try as might I could not scream For I had found myself in a dragon’s dream Silurians dream unlike we do Encased in fog and misty blue
Stretching outward with my hands And arms that felt like rubber bands Bouncing in the dark I felt it Like being in a pouch of velvet
To my delight I understood He was sleeping in a wood I felt the moss and smelled the leaves Every time the dragon breathed
Underbelly ‘neath my feet Under that, soft bed of peat Not so bad as it would seem Being in a dragon’s dream
Maybe if he were to wake Some foul turn this dream would take But as for now ‘tis only wonder This not unpleasant spell I’m under
Dragons dream like rivers flow Meander everywhere they go Quite unlike the waking hours When they menace tall stone towers
All the day they spit their fire Strafe a township burn a shire But knowing they have done their best Even dragons have to rest
The world’s gone crazy Mr. Dragon, what’s a child to do Why can’t they all get along just like me and you Thank you once again for standing still as dragon can While I blow you dandelion kisses with my hand
Thank you too, for raising me and keeping me quite safe Lucky little girl I am, leviathan and waife Later take me on your back and let me sit up high Spread your mighty dragon wings and lift me to the sky
Fly around the world a while let me be your dragon child Only you can make me smile why do others find you vile Afterward just set me down we’ll picnic by the lake You can roast some fish and there’s a dragon’s thirst to slake
The world’s gone crazy Mr. Dragon, what’s a child to do Why can’t they all get along just like me and you Here along the alpine shores we’re out of reach of men I’ll collect more dandelions then we’ll start again
Joseph John Racano
Dragon Races
Hey pretty girl pony tails and braces Let me take you out to the dragon races They’re hard to find but I know some places They get so close you can see their faces
Might get chilly don’t forget your sweater Or just wear mine with the varsity letter If your mom complains go ahead and let her The time’s just right and it don’t get better
No ordinary race They’re on the edge of space Then at a dragon’s pace They’re right there in your face
Hey pretty girl in the saddle shoes Don’t sit home with the teen age blues The sky’s lit up in your favorite hues I’m parked outside let’s take a cruise
You won’t believe it when they fly past There’s one red dragon who's really fast Crossed the finish then they crashed Green one’s still in a body cast
So come on baby what do you say Put your barbie dolls away Dragon races end in May Let’s go where the dragons play
Joseph John Racano 5/28/20
Friend of the Skyvern
At a clearing in the woods Prone beside a log I heard a crocodilian croak Mistook it for a frog
Then did a brightly beast alight Of the feather and of fang Who set my heart a-quiver With the throaty song he sang
I recognized the Skyvern Both dragon and a bird Nothing quite a wyvern Then another song I heard
The Skyvern was at meeting And bowed before the meek Listening with attentive ear To a songbird with a squeak
The brightly feathered Skyvern Stooped low and lower still Smiling at the songbird perched As if on window sill
And only did the reptile know The tune the songbird sung For they had often met like this Beneath where willows hung
The bird gave whistle, chirp and cheep The Skyvern settled down to sleep And soon the soothing melody Caused everything at peace to be
Until such time the bird took flight And Skyvern flew into the night Their feathers preened all nicely cleaned No better friends were ever dreamed
I was out one night on a rocky outcropping Where a distant boom-box had the hip-hop a-popping And standing before me both frightful and tall Was a fearsome dragon who held me in thrall
With translucent wings of a blue quite new to me He bade me indulge in his dancing tom foolery I threw down my pack, gave my best Michael Jackson Please hear me out as I get all the facts in
I stepped toward the dragon and thrust out my hips Swept back my hair started pursing my lips Smacked open palms on the sides of my legs At sideline were dragons who drank straight from kegs
At last I was done and I pointed my finger Sure after that no sane dragon would linger But the translucent winger gave me a surprise He nodded his head and he batted his eyes
His dance moves were strong, he had rhythm and timing And one of his home boys stood up started rhyming I looked all around me and what did I see Those dragons in rhythm all laughing at me
He spread out his wings, and my arms did the same He opened his mouth came a tongue and a flame I dropped to the floor with a spin and a pose And off flew the horde, I had vanquished my foes