George And The Dragon (Part 1)
Based on the eleventh century allegory
O hideous creature,
Thou can kill me.
Your tail goes ssccrr,
And this scares me!
Your eyes droopy,
Are like glitter in the grass.
They don’t scare George as you lay and wait
For Chance.
Your fan made of leather
Keeps you cool from the Sun.
Why do you bother evil creature?
You should perish in the Sun.
Bigger than the King’s palace?
Bigger than the church?
You aren’t bigger George’s faith
Which leaves you in the lurch.
Why do you come looking for something to eat?
You know the people are no match
For your sharp teeth
O foul beast.
O fire breather, thing of awe,
Each night you peer in the windows,
The women scream in response to your roar,
And in the palace, the princess shows
Off a pathos in response to your roar.
*****
Your empty stomach rumbled like thunder
Through the night.
The people hearing the thunder
Summoned the knight.
The bravest knight, George could not
Any promises
Make.
So they placed the princess on a pole in the
Mist,
In hope that her beauty would satisfy its thirst.
With vizor down and shield hugging chest,
George ran toward the beast, doing his best.
So with lance level and sword skilled,
George struck the beast in the breast.
Thinking this where the heart must be,
George realized the beast did not own one.
His lance was blunted, his cloak and armor
Lost.
The battle had just begun...
To be continued...
(1994)
For my early works, I sought myths and legends for inspiration. I wanted to use poetry as a compressor to tell a usually long but nonetheless classic tale without losing any of its initial potency. This poem was written days after "Animals And Man" when I was still looking to wild but beautiful creatures for inspiration.
