Red Dragon


When Mother sent me out to play
Just in the garden there,
I saw a flower in the bed
A crimson rose of deepest red
I drew my sword, beware.

Imagine now Red Dragon’s glare
His eyes sun fire hot,
With thorny spikes on tail and back
Or poison breath he could attack
But would he get first shot?

He sprayed his poison cloud of rot
The vapor took my sight.
I staggered now in darkness thrust
My magic blade I had to trust
I swung with all my might.

Red Dragon rasped, “You silly knight,
I’ll do you in this day.”
I dropped and rolled but felt the sting
His tail thorns caught me lingering
I bled right where I lay.

I had to make Red Dragon pay,
For terror he had wrought.
A menace to my neighborhood
This nemesis of childhood
I'd make him come to naught.

I feigned my fading as we fought
His pride and ego swelled.
When he drew nigh to watch me die
Then through his neck my sword did fly
Red Dragon I had felled.

The Queen rushed out and screamed and yelled,
“You lopped my precious rose.”
She took the stick out of my hand
And banished me from Garden-land
That’s how the story goes.

So if you’re ever sent to play
In Garden-land my friend,
Beware red dragons lurking there,
But even more you must beware,
Queen Mother in the end.

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Published in 2006 The Poetry Newsletter, Writing.Com as winner of a contest.
Published in Between Life and Language, 2009
Published in Dare to Soar, 2013

Metric pattern (metric feet) is 4-3-4-4-3. Rhyme scheme is a-b-c-c-b then b is used to start the next stanza, except in the last stanza which reverts to the first line of the poem.
 

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© 2006, 2009, 2013 NavWorks Press and DE Navarro. All rights reserved.

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Published in Dare to Soar, 2013. Available at any bookstore worldwide.

Or order a signed copy direct from The Curio 

DE Navarro teaches poetry and runs a poetry WordShop™ at We Write Poetry

 

 

This poem is about: 
Our world

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