The Great Blue Dragon----
Some of us see dragons
in our minds eye every day.
Some of us never see dragons at all.
It's said crazy men and small children
often see them flying in the sky
If you ask one of them, they'll tell you
dragons seldom fall.
I've heard it rumored
cats and dogs and small creatures
see dragons often
and talk to them all the time.
I've heard it rumored the men we call wizards
knew them well
and considered most dragons
wiser than most men.
The great wizard Fizzreeb who long ago lived
in the Egyptian town of Aditahur once wrote,
“Dragons come and dragons go.
There are dragons good and bad
and dragons in between.
Dragons just and unjust
and dragons just biding times long flow.
They come in all colors.
Dragons European, and Chinese and Indian.
Dragons in the sea, on the land, and in the sky.
Dragons from the north and east
or from the south and west
and dragons from nowhere at all.
There's dragons young and old
dragons dumber and smarter
but the great blue dragon
is the oldest and wisest of all.
He lives in a cottage
just west of the end of time.
No one knows his real name.
No one knows from where he came long ago.
No one knows how he gets home.
He is very big and very blue.
Some say he looks cruel and mean
but there is laughter in his eyes
and happiness in his words.
His touch is gentle
and unless he's roaring
his voice is soft, quiet and kind.
He can shape shift
and what he looks like
reflects what is in the hearts
of those who meet him.
He appears savage to those who are mistaken
and very good to to those who are good.
He has many scars from great battles long, long ago
but these days
only an idiot or fool would try to fight him
or be stupid enough to bother him
when he doesn't want to be bothered by wasting time.
He'll talk to anyone for a little while
but these days he talks mostly
to people who are innocent,
or friendless, forsaken and lonely
and only those who have ears to listen
can hear what he has to say.
If ever your days seem very, very dark
when you feel in dire, desperate need of a friend.
if a stranger walks into your life for a while
with words that are very helpful
and with eyes that are very, very kind.
If he can see into your heart,
if he gives you the gift of great thoughts
and asks for nothing in return
then likely as not you've met
the great blue dragon
who wanders quietly and unnoticed
the world of mortal men.
Now every coin has more than one side
and the great blue dragon has a downside too.
You see, if he stays too long with those he helps
they always fall in love with him
so they always try to win his heart
and keep him with them for all time
because they do not know
the old blue dragon promised his love to his lady
at the dawn of time, many eons ago.
Her kiss is the only touch he'll keep
and into her arms each night he wanders
his only wish at the end of the day
is to be homeward bound.
So the pain of a broken heart
is hidden in the gift of the dragons friendship many times.
He knows what will happen.
He has seen it over and over again.
It is a great sadness the old one must always wear.
He knows he can never linger long with those he meets.
And he knows he must stay
with those for whom he feels the most
only for the shortest while.
Behind him are one hundred thousand years
of dear and intimate confidants
he had to leave behind.
Ahead of him are one hundred thousand years
of watching true love
like a clear blue river seeking the sea
begin to flow in each close friend he meets
and having to leave just in time.
Still, there are many things to keep him happy.
Wrapped around him he keeps
like a warm blanket on a cold, cold night
the memories and deep wisdom
of a million intimate and honest conversations
with a million dear souls
whom he loved and who loved him back.
A million times where all alone
in some dingy pub or dumpy coffee shop
late on a slow Wednesday night
two hearts cast off the pretense, posturing and haughty banter
of ordinary conversation
and revealed who they really were to each other
like a pair of brilliant white suns shining
over a cup of black coffee sitting on a dowdy, faded counter.
Dewey Dirks Copyright 2009
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