The Lonely Dragon
Poetry
Oh, lonely dragon.
I know you are afraid.
You are afraid of the world,
and all its people, too.
You are afraid that they will come
and kill you,
as they were sent to do.
And I understand why —
I would be afraid too.
But here’s the thing:
I don’t want to kill you.
I want to befriend you
and help make your life easier.
I’ve been sent here by the king,
indeed for the reason you fear.
He thinks his word is what is best
for his kingdom, but he doesn’t understand
how hard it is for dragons
who hadn’t been socialized before humans showed up
and started killing them all off in droves.
He doesn’t understand how hard it is
for anyone who has been forced
into isolation from others
their entire lives.
He doesn’t understand that sometimes
his people need someone to show them
that there’s another way.
