-- Mythical Dragons --

John Herlihy

Mythical dragons mischief cause,

They lie in wait for their applause.

Born across millennia in arctic ice,

Massive mountains, silent as mice.

Arctic glaciers as dragons in repose,

Weary muscles move when they dose.

Idle dragons have no need for sound,

They move as shadows on the ground.

They creep thru valleys in all stealth,

Their massive bulk serves as wealth.

Reach their limit when summer nears,

Warmth slays the dragon with no fears.

The continents silent in dragon sleep,

When they move, they do but creep.

Until they quake when creep they do,

Terror rides on harsh wind they blew.

Dragon’s breath lies behind waterfall,

Its whisper holds the listener in thrall.

Silent water descends, but the dragon,

Utters a roar no one can truly imagine.

Dragons even found in ocean’s surge,

Twisting waves into seamen’s scourge.

Awesome force lifts its head into crest,

Until the dragon’s spirit settles to rest.

A dragon visage can be seen in clouds,

Its seething colors wrapped in shrouds.

A dragon body tipped with a ribbed tail,

Streaming across the heavens as a sail.

In the eye of the dragon what to see,

The eye of consciousness looking at me.

The eye of the dragon is mirror-deep,

Reflecting mysteries into which we leap.

The Chinese dragon flies without wings,

In soaring high aloft, its wild heart sings.

The bird of prey soars in magisterial flight,

Thru the ages creating an awesome sight.

Sleeping dragons live in mountain ranges,

Seen from such an angle that ever changes.

Spiny ripples and spikey twists standing tall,

Spanning entire continents in silent sprawl.

Who ever said that dragons never existed?

The myth of dragons has silently persisted.

They lie there waiting their mysteries to tell,

As they breathe their fire into a magic spell.

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(c) John Herlihy 3 June 2020