Dragon Share

They say there is a dragon
As still and quiet as cut stone
Obsidian, volcanic glass given shape
And breath

Moons reflected on black wings,
Red shapes that shift and change
A cycle in the dark
Secrets linger behind sealed lips
Telling of unimaginable things

He knows strange worlds,
Doorways, gateways,
Portals to realities
There are other worlds than these
And he knows them all

The night hides things from prying eyes
And he is sure
To let no eyes pierce
Too far into the starlight veil
There are secrets still not meant to be known

There is a place where sunlight never touches
Where the dark has eyes
And a thousand mouths
Filled with needle teeth

Where strange pale fish stare back
With the faces of lost souls
Gaping mouths stretched
Wide in silent screams

There's a reason why
More is known about the coldness of space
Than the crushing depths
Of waters deep

Down here it's still and calm
As glass poured in a single sheet
Down here he waits
And watches
Eyes unblinking
Always searching for something

Icons and effigies
Carved with care,
With strong claws and capable hands
Wood and bone and bits
And pieces of past hunts,

A warning, hung from the trees
The faces seem to whisper
To stay away
Keep your distance
Whittled eyes stare,
Unblinking

He values privacy
Treasures isolation,
Wants simply to be left alone
To his own devices

He knows these woods and lands
The twists and turns of animal trails,
And how to set a trap
To skin an animal
So the pelt is unharmed

He knows the value of furs
And the lay of the land
The turn of a branch
And the shape hidden in a bit of bone.

You were a candle in the dark
A spark that burned in my heart
You were the red of fresh blood
Spilt in fresh snow
Fire in plains of ash

Something hungry and bright
A fire all-consuming
Dealing death with quick claws
And laughter
Lips stretched into wide smiles
Drawn tight against sharp teeth

And you were mine and I was yours
But you see:
I fought to live.
And you -
You lived to fight
And peace is no place
For a blood-soaked soul,
At home in slaughter.

At first I wanted not to see,
Not to know -
But the peace brought clarity
And truth
And I learned how it was
To love a monster

Then came the night of terror
And fear,
Blows in the night
Strikes without warning
Done with love,
Done with love

A dying breath
A ragged gasp
We died together on that
Blood filled night
And now we are another whole
Together forever,
Never to be apart
A monster with shambling limbs
And two minds
A cautionary tale

These violent desires
Have violent ends
There are two souls within me
I choose which one I'll feed
I choose peace
A final rebellion to who you used to be
And maybe
Maybe it will be enough

I linger in cemeteries,
Besides graves of ones that were once loved.
I live in wilted flowers left
By loved ones,
Offerings to ghosts

I am in battlefields
Long abandoned,
Where all is rust and bone
Fathers and sons, and daughters
That never made it home

I am abandoned nests -
Toys never played with,
Eyes never opened.
Distraught mothers and broken eggshells
The deaths of hopes and dreams
Future unfulfilled
A failure to thrive

I am the aftermath
Of storms, fires, plagues and famines.
Ruined crops and undid plans
A farmer looking at destroyed lands

And yet
I bring all together
The widowed wife
The grieving mother
The destitute farmer
The broken solider
Find solidarity in me

I am Grief
And you all are mine

Prideful, reckless, headstrong
Is it my fault for knowing my own mind?
For being unyielding, unbending
True to who I am?

No sheep am I -
I will not linger in someone else's shadow
I am no follower of old traditions
Of conventions held by elders

I run on spite and humor
and a controlled recklessness
I know myself and my habits
Who else can really say
That they know themselves as well
As I know myself?

Lofty ideals, I strive for perfection
In everything.
A flawless pearl, a spotless room
The shine of polished scales
Glistening in sunlight

The clear blue of a cloudless sky
A pear without a worm
A perfect gem,
Cut just so -

For what is perfection -
Other than the essence
Of godliness?
Nothing less then excellence,
Nothing less than idyllic
Will ever do

Practice makes perfect
There is always room for improvement
Reach the limits you've put on yourself
and push them ever higher