About a thousand (maybe 35) years ago, I wrote a poem that is still one of my favorites. Once upon a time, it was considered, and ultimately rejected, for publication as a children’s book. Apparently, the publisher had concerns about its lighthearted and cavalier attitude towards the burning of a house and they worried that it might encourage a whole generation of budding arsonists.<\/p>\n
Adults are weird.<\/p>\n
Rowan Murphy, a long-tme online friend from pre-internet GEnie days, read the poem and made a black and white illustration for it. Such a marvelous illustration it was! Recently, she has been doing digital art, AI art, and animation. I teased her and asked her if she could give me an updated, animated version of the “dancing dragon” she created from my poem:<\/p>\n
When I awoke this morning,
\nat the first cold light of dawn,
\nI looked outside, and found
\nA dancing dragon on the lawn.<\/p>\n
He did a soft-shoe shuffle,
\nThen he doffed his hat, you see.
\nI’ll believe in you,” he said,
\n“If you’ll believe in me.”<\/p>\n
Well, little did the dragon know
\nThat I was predisposed
\nTo trust in anything with wings.
\nBut now I’m sure he knows.<\/p>\n
A dragon’s laughter brightly burns,
\nAnd cauterizes pain.
\nFor when a dancing dragon laughs,
\nDark thoughts cannot remain.<\/p>\n
The neighbors think I’ve lost my mind.
\nPerhaps I have, at that.
\nMy mother wonders why
\nI’m not content with just a cat.<\/p>\n
They say they wouldn’t let
\nA dragon on their lawns to graze.
\nThey fear he’ll set the house afire
\nAmidst the games he plays.<\/p>\n
Well, if the house goes up in flames,
\nThere’ll be a wienie roast.
\nWe’ll warm ourselves before the blaze,
\nAnd drink a friendly toast.<\/p>\n
Fine houses are on every street,
\nBut dancing dragons, well…
\nWhen you’ll find another’s something
\nYou can never tell.<\/p>\n
I wouldn’t chain him if I could,
\nHe’ll wander where he will.
\nBut I can hope when next I look,
\nHe’s dancing out there, still.<\/p>\n