Hi Arthur
I think this would probably work really well as a performance piece.
I have to say though I liked the first part best - the dragon seemed to
really relish his role, and I was less than convinced by his reasons for
relinquishing it.
H



----- Original Message -----
From: Arthur Seeley <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 8:48 AM
Subject: New sub: For amusement only.


> Music hath charms...
>
> A world-weary dragon explains his reasons
> for retiring as a town burning,
> village eating, havoc creating terror
> to further his musical studies.
>
............................................................................
> ........
> Ah'm wicked and clumsy, no fingers, all fumsy,
> a clatter-clawed, slobber-mawed, ragged-jawed blimp.
> A scaly dumpling. A fumbling, tumbling, all-blubber lump.
> An awkward-squad saurian quadruped ah's been called by some
> as should know better than to use dreadful langige like that.
> Ah 've forgotten his name but ah ate him the same
> and for afters his coat and his hat.
> Muh gob when it gapes' like uh couple of gates,
> all-palings and spikey and wide.
> Ah'm sluggily-ugly, ah'm slippery-slimey, gut-wrenchingly grimy
> and gooey and green deep inside.
> Ah stink like Vesuvius's asshole, ah'm a parcel of cinders and ash.
> Ah bump into things as ah'm passing and make 'em fall down with a crash.
> Ah'm a blunderer, a thunderer, a shaker,
> earth-quaker, tree-breaker, a lout.
> "Watch out, it's about" they scream and they shout.
> Ah'm a gurner, a burner, bigger than bunsen but brighter and hotter when
> cross.
> Ah slithers and scrapeses through all the dark places,
> make the foulest of faces, crying  'Boo!' and "Ah don't give a toss".
> Ah eat sheepses and goatses, one or two boatses but only the fattest of
hogs
> ah chases old ladies and the smallest of babies
> and granddads and children and dogs.
> Ah'm big and ah'm bad and mostly ah'm mad.
> ah's scarey and shows it, ah don't care who knows it,
> ah've no saving graces, ah'm a galumph, a bully, a cad.
> A horny-backed, leather-winged terror,
> the Curse of the Skies, ah've been called,
> ah'm damned and doom laden, with a penchant for maiden,
> they knows it, and fears me, throws bloody great spears at me
> pursue and harass me, abuse, insult and sass me,
> rewarding my slaughter with the hand of their daughter,
> and a third of their kingdom, no less.
>
> Well ah've had it!
> Ah want none of it now,
> there's no fun in it now,
> ah want done with it now.
> Ah've found me a tune
> it's one ah can croon
> put words to as ah'm flying along
> so just let it be
> the music and me
> ah'll be happy ,you'll see,
> with my song.
> You can watch the sparks fly
> across the night sky
> as ah'm winging close by,
> my shade hanging black on the moon,
> alone with my strumberling, tremberling
> smouldering, emberling,
> tootling, fluteling
> malodorous melodious tune.