One Afternoon In Dowd
On yonder mountain was the lair of the dragon.
Hidden in a cave on Mount Acron was he.
Asleep he was for 400 years.
The dragon's eyes opened with an emerald glow.
Today is the day that he was to reunite
with his fellows in the valley below.
The dragon stood on legs uncertain.
his great wings spread, unfurled at last.
He ambled, on his way forward, slowly;
toward the entrance of the cave he toddled.
Then he let out a cry, a roar so loud
that it shook the leaves from the trees around,
and rang from the rocks in the valley below!
First time in centuries outstretched wings flapped!
Flapped with confidence as up he went,
then to glide him down to the land below.
A fair maiden had ventured by the creek,
for to fill her bucket with mountain-pure water.
The sun shimmered from her golden tresses
cascading from head and over her shoulders.
The maiden stopped and froze at the sound of the wings.
To her it was like great sails in the wind,
Yet here on the mount no boats were found.
With her right arm she lifted the bucket, now full,
and with her left hand, her dress from under foot.
As she turned to leave from the water's edge
the great dragon circled and came alight.
At the edge of the forest the dragon did land,
but a few paces away from the golden-haired one.
So struck was he by this fair maid's beauty
That on the spot his shape he did change
From a royal dragon to a prince at-arms
With the hope of her attention to gain!
The mind of the maiden was sorely confused;
the dragon she saw, but was no longer there,
and she found herself smitten by a handsome prince!
A prince at-arms, in most brilliant of armor!
Scarce could she contain the things inside her,
'til she swooned and fainted and nearly fell.
What are princes for, if not to cushion a fall?
In his arms he cradled the absolute fairest
of the centuries of maidens he had ever beheld.
Upon his knee the prince did kneel,
and held her pale and dainty hand.
He kissed it gently, then stood and thought:
“Such beauty, and me a mere dragon, I am.
I wonder if she will take my hand
So we can be united as one,
in the eyes the goddess dragon of Yarragon?”
They embraced and danced in courtly circles,
To the music their two hearts played for their feet.
'tween the forest green and the water blue,
as the golden sunlight made them warm;
it felt to them like time stood still,
floating on air with the birds and butterflies!
Never had the fair maiden of Dowd,
seen before such a gorgeous prince.
“A prince in shining armor is he.
A warrior hero no doubt,” she thought.
And so during that time when time stood still
a bond was forged, so strong was it built,
like a masonry wall, built stone upon stone.
“He is all that I believe him to be.”
And that, in sum, thought the maiden of Dowd.
“And naught shall take me from his side.”
The prince was only too aware
of whom the maiden thought she loved.
“I believe that her mind will quickly change
should she learn of the dragon that holds the prince.”
He held her tightly and whispered in her ear,
“My lady I must tell you all
It was a prince that broke your fall.
What you see before you of me is one part,
for another resides in me, in my heart.
With that he released her and before her changed.
And upon him appeared scales of silver, and claws,
huge, emerald eyes and a crested crown.
The maiden screamed and fell to the ground!
“What enchantment do you cast upon me?”
The dragon returned to the prince once again.
Resuming his human appearance he knelt
and again took the fair lady of Dowd in his arms.
She awakened, and with a mind not bemused,
said aloud, “I will go anywhere with you.
For the heart is true and the truth is,”
the fair lady from Dowd declared,
“in your heart is where the beauty lies.”
“But remember, my dear prince,
if anyone should learn of your other side,
there will be nowhere for us to go.
We will never know a peaceful life.”
The prince picked up the bucket, full
and carried the load for the fair one of Dowd.
They side by side down the path as one,
the fair lady and he walked tall and proud.
The birds resumed their cheerful song,
and the butterflies flitted to and fro
in a field of wild roses.
Composed by Cindy