As the sun went
Down
Two dragon eggs
Cast long shadows
In the sand of
The deep desert
Their ruby red mother
Kept watch nearby
She raised her head
As one egg rolled
Of its own accord
On its side
It shifted again
And began to rock
Side to side
The dragon mother
Curled fast around
The nest, blowing
Hot breath on the eggs
Warming her two babies
In their shells
The second egg shuddered
While the first continued
To rock back and forth
Cracks ran down
The sides of the second
Egg, like cracks on
Pavement after an
Earthquake.
The first egg rolled
Against the second
And a large crack ran the
Whole length of its shell.
In the hush of evening
The sound of the cracking
Shells was loud like the
Breaking of waves against
Rocky cliffs.
Mother Dragon’s eyes never
Left her babies as they pulled their
Way out of their ruined shells
Two large birds, fully feathered
One brilliant blue, the other bright
Red like his mother.
As they dried their feathers
Grew fluffy and they awkwardly
Began to move
Mother dragon carefully picked
Away the remains of the shells
And then gently laid down
Pieces of lizard and scorpion in
Front of the babies.
The stumbled around, not
Quite understanding
Spreading uncertain wings
Bobbing weak heads
Blinking large eyes in the
Bright evening sun.
Then baby blue caught a
Whiff of the lizard and something
Stirred in her baby belly.
She snatched at the
Lizard and gulped it down
While baby red watched in
Awe and then mimicking
His sister he snatched a piece
Of scorpion and gobbled
It down.
Soon nothing remained
Of the food and the baby
Dragons looked at their
Mother with alarm.
Baby blue opened her
Mouth and what a sound
Came out!
A cross between a
Gurgling choke and
A small roaring vomit.
This plaintive cry was
Met with delight by
Mother dragon
And she stroked her babies
Delicately with her nose.
Baby red gave a belch
And fire came out his nose
Startling him and blue baby.
Blue’s feathers were on fire
And burned away on her
Back revealing shiny scales
Soft like new tanned leather.
Panicked she squawked and
Squawked while mother
Dragon rumbled comfortingly
And gently blew hot breath
On her babies until they
Calmed.
There in the deep desert
A mother dragon and her
Two dragon babies stayed
Until they were babies no more
And took to the skies,
Filling the desert air with their
Roars and streams of fire
Ready to take on the world.
Tender Buttons 