I am the old,
The ancient of days.
A fierce warrior of the weary,
Bringing peace to where I lay.
Teeth and claws,
Scales and fire.
I am the dragon that cannot be denied,
More legendary than golden hands or eye.
You can try your best to beat me,
But truth be told you'll die.
For I the Dragon protect what is most precious to me,
More truth than a lie.

Your heart was a princess,
locked in the highest tower.
And your ribs were razor wire,
keeping me out.

You clawed at my fingers
tracing your poisoned skin
and stole my breath
with your toxic air.

I tried to be your knight in shining armor,
fighting the dragon that was your biting tongue,
but you quickly melted my sword
and broke my heart.

A flame is the lonely rage, hidden in the heart of desire. It burns for love and compassion, yet is stoked by the poker of hate,

Corruption is a dragon, greedy and terrifying.

Books are knowledge, inviting and comforting, but filled with the heavy truths of the world.

Find yourself, they said
you will walk down unknown paths
with dragons and lava puddles
with a shield and an unbeatable armor

Find yourself, they said
you will face the biggest beasts
and find shelter in their ribcages
warming yourself with their hearts

Find yourself, they said
you will sleep in the meadow
with only the moon as your company
and the wolf howls as you sleep melodies

Find yourself, they said
you will dance naked
around a fire of cherry wood near the forest
of undiscovered creatures

Find yourself, they said
and you will bathe in infinite oceans
of comfort and color your skin
with the sunsets

Find yourself, they said
and you will be swept off your feet
by this deathly wave of what they call love

Find yourself, they said
strip every layer the society accumulated
on your center
and expose the skeleton that you harness
so shyly

Find yourself, they said
and you will find yourself
afloat on a cloud of comfort
shedding all sense of care

Find yourself, they said
and you will feast with Kings of confidence
and Queens of beauty
igniting forest fires of jealousy
amongst those who just don't know thee

Find yourself, they said
and all those birds will flock to your feather
even change their own patter to fit yours

Find yourself, they said
and you will treasures of self worth
that no
mirror
can
reflect

I  live on the mountain
Below the silver mist
In the valley, full of magic
Where the sun has rarely kissed

I am called a smudger
I live on what's left behind
I have been here near forever
I'm the last one of my kind

Below the mountain major
Lives a dragon, fierce and bold
Sleeping now, and dreaming
Of it's hoard of stolen gold

Eleventy years plus twenty
I have been here on this earth
Cleaning up the dragons droppings
It's how I justify my worth

The dragon's ruled this mountain
For a thousand thousand years
The silver river that flows through it
Is full of snow melt and of tears

Once a generation
Someone comes from down below
Gets the villagers all riled
Says "The dragon has to go"

They go and fight the dragon
Try to take his hoard of gold
And that is why, it's me the smudger
Who knows how the story must be told

The fighter leaves the village
Full of gusto and incensed
Saying "justice for the village"
or close to that....condensed

The dragon then awakens
Flys around and burns the town
Leaving nothing left but ashes
everything gone or burned down

Now, I, your local smudger
Cleans up the dead and done
It's a profitable existence
Since I am the only one

The dragon knows there's nothing
Much more of value to behold
The villagers were poor folk
Owning neither jewels or gold

I've cleaned up more destruction
Caused by villagers who go
On up to face the dragon
And get killed with just one blow

Now, I make candles with their bodies
I use their skin and body fat
I weave the hair not melted
And I make a nice new front hall mat

The bones I grind and scatter
On the mountain in the trees
It helps the ferns all grow strong
And keeps the trees free from disease

What little money I find
I leave half by the dragons den
Over time I have left there
Money from five thousand men

I've swords I sell at auction
When I travel, but that's rare
There is really nothing for me
That's not near the dragons lair

It's a relationship existing
On destruction and of greed
The dragon burns the village
And I get the things I need

They rebuild and they recover
And a generation may pass by
When once again some young, strong fighter
Wakes the dragon, makes him fly

I guess we need each other
That's the way it's always been
I'm the smudger on the mountain
I'm the one who's never seen

I was told,
Some line, some time ago
About bravery being not who killed the dragon
But who had the courage to face it first;
Like learning to love the dark,
Or leaving home before it hurts.

Once upon a time a long way away
The Prince married the Wizard's daughter
Within the Queen's garden they said their vows
Wonderful day in the land of Stohyer

Then came the black witch and let it be known
Her pale white skin sent shivers through the crowd
Her voice cackled making the guests tremble
Thy firstborns blood will make my skin shine proud

To the Wizard's cave they sought his advice
There his red haired daughter told of their plight
Then with dagger he cut each of their hair
Mingled hair in cauldron opened the sight

The clear water began to boil and churn
When it calmed down it was like a birds eye view
This sight was flying fast over the land
To the far corners of the land they flew

Then the sight did still, showing a great bear
The bear looked up at them giving a growl
Come ask me kindly as he showed loose claws
The King understood the bears words in growl

Then sight flew to show an old grand dragon
The dragon saw them and bellowed great flame
Come ask me kindly showing pile of scales
The Prince understood the words from the flame

Then the Queens garden to a strong old tree
The tree swayed and the wind rustled the leaves
Come ask me kindly showing huge walnut
The Queen understood rustling of the leaves

Leaving Wizard and daughter safe in cave
The king rode hard and fast to see the bear
The Prince climbed up high to meet the dragon
The Queen to her garden asked tree to share

Once returned they gave the gifts to Wizard
The bear gave claw of a great warrior
Dragon gave the scale of the first dragon
Placed in walnut shell to protect Stohyer

Wizard sealed the shell and gave to daughter
Keep warm and with you always my daughter
When you are with child it will crack open
Revealing a protector of Stohyer

The red haired Princess took care of the shell
The Princess kept it with her everywhere
Then one morning she awoke to cracking
With husband they watched a hatching to share

It cracked a little here and then more there
Revealing something they had never seen
A bearlike furry ball with a long tail
Stretching out little horns could now be seen

The eyes of the Prince and Princess went wide
Something beautiful and new was now there
Looking up at them with green dragon eyes
The Princess cuddled Teddy Dragon Bear

We drink in the darkness
until our poor necks
slinky down our chests
then hit the quartz floor.
We reach for the door only to have
the caves mouth swallows us back in...
dragon teeth stained with fresh skin
shone through moon lit cracks
of a boulder blocked exit.
My girl gripped my hand
as we pondered our next plan
there's no time for a nest egg
oxygen running out in a dead sprint
no phone batteries, ***, towheads, assists
We bowed to lizard majesty
with the lesser misfits
In this skull and bones tragedy,
all makers get met.
Exploring terror ridden territory,
a strange place for lovers.