A poem–“On to a Brilliant World”

Dragons can assume many forms.  G.K. Chesterton said: “Children do not have to be taught that dragons exist.  They already knew that.”

 On To A Brilliant World

The old man stood on the hill

In the time of my youth

In my time of formation

Invincibility

And confusion.

“Son” he said:

“That’s where you’re going.

See that peak over there?”

I looked.

The peak was covered by a cloud

But I knew it was there.

“Son” he said

“Son, you cain’t get there unless

You go through the valley

And sometimes,

When you get in the valley,

Sometimes,

When you get in the valley

You won’t be able to find your way out.

“It’s easy,” he said

“To get down in the valley

But sometimes getting up on the other side

Is quite another story.”

He gazed into the distance.

“There is the dragon” he said

“They say there is a dragon

A magic dragon

Somewhere in the valley.

The dragon will help you find the valley

But it will not help you to get out on

The other side.”

And I started for the peak

On the other side of the valley

And going down was easy

I slipped and slid and rolled

And ran and finally, I got to the bottom.

I looked up the mountain on the other side

And that was when I saw the dragon.

“Stay” spoke the magic dragon

“Stay here with me and

I will protect you.  Leave, and I will hurt you.”

And I stayed.

I forgot about the cloud covered peak

Which was my destination

The dragon made me comfortable.

I became more and more comfortable

In the valley.

And the dragon made me happy

Except,  every now and then

I thought about the old man who had showed me the peak

And when I thought about reaching the peak.

And one day, I started up the hill

On the other side of the valley

Heading for the destination I had

Almost forgotten.

And the dragon stood in my way

He struck me with his massive claws

Knocking me back into the valley

I stood and tried for the hill again and again

And he threw me back again and again.

It had to be magic.

 I grew older, and

Then, one day, I tried for the peak

And when the dragon came to knock me down

I boldly confronted him

I looked him in the eye

And I said:  “I am leaving.  Do not

Try to stop me again.

Dragons are not real

And there is no such thing as magic.”

And I turned and walked away

Digging my fingernails – my own claws

Into the hillside, struggling up the mountain

Toward the cloud covered peak

I grew older and

The dragon chased me

At times he stood in front of me

Blocking my way and I went around him.

But the further I made it up the mountain

The more he fell behind

Until he could no longer stop me

And the going got easier as I made my way

Out of the valley

Toward the cloudy peak

And toward the peak

That the old man had shown me

Was a large cloud

And the peak rose through it

I struggled unseeing through the cloud

And came through to the other side

On top of the cloud

And raised my head

And saw things I had never seen before.

It was a Brilliant World

That was when I realized

That there was, indeed a dragon

And I had defeated him

And the magic……………..

The magic was in me.

And in the Brilliant World.

And

And it was now time for me

To be the old man.

***************************

The title “Brilliant World” is from the blog created

And maintained by my nephew Isaac Schulz.

You may view it HERE

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