The Dragon’s Release Poem by Amera Andersen

The eastern gate of the sheltered forest,
was well over grown from years of neglect.
It's not a place for the curious tourist;
with human skulls, hung on trees for effect.
Men have courage but mine is the poorest
for certain danger is what I expect.
So starts the story of the fateful quest
for the golden key that opens the chest.

For countless years the key had been missing
and it opened the chest of eternal dreams.
The dragon protects it with fire and hissing,
a six headed hydra with bone chilling screams.
I trembled with terror as I was approaching,
I realized my safety was not as it seems.
I circled around and crouched down behind
and hid in a place where he would be blind.

Then in an instant, the dragon aware;
turned quickly to face me, I had been found.
Felt weak in my knees at his red eyed stare,
my body collapsing, I fell to the ground.
I started to cry it was all I could bear.
To my elation he spoke most profound.
“Hello little girl; just why are you here”?
His soft tender voice abated my fear.

I answered the dragon as kind as I could;
“I’ve come here to beg for the golden key”.
He replied in kind as a dragon should;
“If I give it to you; will you release me”?
“I know that the chest will only do good”.
“I’m trapped in this body and want to be free”.
I smiled at the dragon and granted his wish,
the world is now saved from dreamless anguish.


Author notes:

Ottava Rima:
An Ottava Rima is a poem written in 8-line octaves. Each line is of a 10 or 11 syllable count in the following rhyme scheme:
one octave poem. abababcc
two octave poem. abababcc, dededeff
three octave poem. abababcc, dededeff, ghghghii
and so on....