I am a dragon
drowning, full of fire
born to water
with dampened ire
and in this rheumy sphere
must tread my days, captive
to the dousing atmosphere
of tranquil pools, to live
detecting nuance of affect
in murky depths

So at my death just drain me dry
to burn upon the wood flamed pyre
but first please let me lie 
awhile in earth, and after fire
and smoke are done
fling me golden
at the sun 

43 thoughts on “Last Will of a Water Dragon”

1. Love how you weaved all the elements in this poem. That last stanza is glorious and golden as the sun.

   1. thank you Grace – yes this water dragon got to put on all the other elements at the end!

2. Yes… in reality we are all those element, but in the end maybe it is just the aether in the sun

   1. who knows – certainly our bodies are mostly water

3. That last stanza is amazing. And melancholy.

   1. not too melancholy I hope – just planning for the end

      1. The end comes – whether we’re ready or not. It would be a glorious death.

         1. indeed!

4. Fire and water must have made you their daughter, Laura! What a fabulous poem! I feel for the water dragon, full of fire but having to tread her days, ‘captive to the dousing atmosphere of tranquil pools’. I especially love these lines:

   ‘but first please let me lie
   awhile in earth, and after fire
   and smoke are done
   fling me golden
   at the sun’.

   1. yes I was born a water dragon but it does not quite fit my temperament – thank you for bringing out the elemental in our poetry Kim

      1. My pleasure, Laura.

5. This is gorgeous, gorgeous writing here, Laura! I especially admire the closing image .. to be flung golden at the sun.. to me it is so poetic and so very apt 💜💜

   1. many thanks Sanaa for such a lovely comment

      1. You’re most welcome! x

6. really enjoyed the use of all the elements

   1. thank you

7. that sounds like a glorious departure ~

   1. back to stardust

8. Oh dear…I must relearn rhyme…..if the first verse was David Bowie mixed with Rhimbaud, the second was the crescendo…..stunning stuff Laura…wherever you reached for stanza II…amazing .

   1. Ain, that is a unique mix of writers- thank you for that and such high praise. And talking of rhyme I find if it begins of its own accord with the opening words then I carry on but often wish it hadn’t as I struggle to make rhyme without predictability (but I guess the MTB prompts are a good writing exercise for training such)

9. I especially like the grace in that final stanza. (K)

   1. glad you can feel that there Kerfe

10. True, so much of us is water, but you justly weave all of those elements through this.

    1. well you do a lot of water travel so I guess it resonates!

11. “fling me golden at the sun” – stunning finale, Laura. What a way to go!

    1. up not down – thank you Tish

12. “fling me golden at the sun” is a glorious finale to a fine weaving of the elements.

    1. thank you – it was a good way to slip the gold element in too!

       1. Indeed. You are welcome , Laura.

13. i love what you did with this one, Laura. Such great images of here to there! Matter changing form.

    1. yes the water dragon got to change form

       1. :>)

14. 👏👏👏👏👏👏

    1. 🙏🙏

15. This was a beautiful read! I love dragons.

    1. thank you

16. That was beautiful, Laura! I love how the dragon made peace with his passing and becoming part of the elements.

    1. yes though I only have a passing interest in the zodiac this water dragon is happiest out of it

17. A fitting end (of dragon and of poem.) Lovely, Laura.

    1. yes in the end the dragon must fly! thanks Lisa

       1. You’re welcome! Dragons have always fascinated me, and some myths say they start as fish (kun) and morph, so the water dragon speaks to me.

18. “to live
    detecting nuance of affect
    in murky depths”

    …there would be a lot to drain, I’m sure. Being flung at the sun sounds glorious.

    1. and karma for a psychotherapist!

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