"One-Hundred Degrees in the Shade"

Dust chases us down the road   

engulfs the car   

swirling like powdered sugar blown from a birthday cake   

coating our sandaled feet as we step into the furnace   

The dogs retreat to bunk bed and chair   

anticipating evening’s approach—   

a breeze, teasing and seductive   

Buffalo grass, brittle reminders of Spring’s bounty   

squat in death   

Cedars, tipped in brown and rust,   

finger summer’s dragon breath in search of moisture   

The naked sky, adorned only by a relentless sun   

yearns for bird song   

Silence, even, languishes in the oppressive heat   

Live Oaks, gnarled limbs supplicating to the cloudless sky   

plea for rain   

Wash away the sins of the world  

 

 Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Don't Tickle the Dragon"

The Dragon Slayer by David Chapman

She soars above river and ravine in magnificence

while despair and fear play hide-n-seek with her smoky shadow.

With penetrating eyes, she seeks and destroys all defiance.

She melts lives with fiery breath and renders fair fields fallow.

Her arbitrary death paralyzes her innocent prey

by syphoning hope from their simple souls one-drop-at-a-time.

Her teeth and claws razor flesh leaving misery and dismay

As she devours their life-blood—without reason, without rhyme.

On bended knee, mankind prays to the ancient gods for relief

And many brave souls with sword and shield challenge her to the death.

Enflamed by anger, she slays them all—fueled on by pagan belief.

All hope becomes lost to young and old—all fear her scorching breath.

Offerings of their children temporarily satiate her greed,

‘til the young princess stands by lakeside awaiting destiny.

A Christian knight from lands unknown approaches on steady steed.

He vows to slay the beast if all pledge to Christianity.

His lance pierces the dragon’s thick hide with a near fatal blow;

with the princess’s girdle, he leads the creature from the lake.

With Ascalon, he impales the dragon—watches her blood flow.

The people cheer, the king sings praise, and an alter he does make.

From the alter spouts water pure, curing all ailments that grow.

The villagers gather ‘round each eve to dance and sing again

of lessons learned from valley to peak that all children should know—

“Don’t play with fire. Don’t pee in the wind. Don’t tickle the dragon!”

Copyright 2013 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"Don't Tickle the Dragon"

 

The Dragon Slayer by David Chapman

She soars above river and ravine in magnificence

while despair and fear play hide-n-seek with her smoky shadow.

With penetrating eyes, she seeks and destroys all defiance.

She melts lives with fiery breath and renders fair fields fallow.

Her arbitrary death paralyzes her innocent prey

by syphoning hope from their simple souls one-drop-at-a-time.

Her teeth and claws razor flesh leaving misery and dismay

As she devours their life-blood—without reason, without rhyme.

On bended knee, mankind prays to the ancient gods for relief

And many brave souls with sword and shield challenge her to the death.

Enflamed by anger, she slays them all—fueled on by pagan belief.

All hope becomes lost to young and old—all fear her scorching breath.

Offerings of their children temporarily satiate her greed,

‘til the young princess stands by lakeside awaiting destiny.

A Christian knight from lands unknown approaches on steady steed.

He vows to slay the beast if all pledge to Christianity.

His lance pierces the dragon’s thick hide with a near fatal blow;

with the princess’s girdle, he leads the creature from the lake.

With Ascalon, he impales the dragon—watches her blood flow.

The people cheer, the king sings praise, and an alter he does make.

From the alter spouts water pure, curing all ailments that grow.

The villagers gather ‘round each eve to dance and sing again

of lessons learned from valley to peak that all children should know—

“Don’t play with fire. Don’t pee in the wind. Don’t tickle the dragon!”

Copyright 2013 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"The Corner of my Eye"

 

"Star of Wisdom" by David Chapman

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a laughing ghost   
she morphs into my fancies     

as she alters my reality     

I sigh her name and capture her hand—     

but she vanishes into the mist of who I was     

so I release her when she smiles     

recognizing myself reflected in her twinkling eyes
         

"Dragon" by David Chapman

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a noble dragon     

she sparkles with childhood jewels     

as she flies into view     

I reach out to touch her, to skip my fingers across her scales     

but she slips out of reach    

as she beckons me to follow her flight     

back to simple pleasures     

"Fairy Flute" by David Chapman

 

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a dancing fairy     

she glimmers with tomorrow’s blessings     

as she throws a kiss my way     

I long to turn my head and follow her as I boogie along     

but she’ll vanish from sight     

so I let her tease me and entrance me all day     

listening for her breath and the whisper of her wings     

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

"The Corner of My Eye"

"Star of Wisdom" by David Chapman

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a laughing ghost   
she morphs into my fancies     

as she alters my reality     

I sigh her name and capture her hand—     

but she vanishes into the mist of who I was     

so I release her when she smiles     

recognizing myself reflected in her twinkling eyes
         

"Dragon" by David Chapman

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a noble dragon     

she sparkles with childhood jewels     

as she flies into view     

I reach out to touch her, to skip my fingers across her scales     

but she slips out of reach    

as she beckons me to follow her flight     

back to simple pleasures     

"Fairy Flute" by David Chapman

 

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a dancing fairy     

she glimmers with tomorrow’s blessings     

as she throws a kiss my way     

I long to turn my head and follow her as I boogie along     

but she’ll vanish from sight     

so I let her tease me and entrance me all day     

listening for her breath and the whisper of her wings     

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

“The Corner of My Eye”

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a laughing ghost  

she morphs into my fancies  

as she alters my reality  

I sigh her name and capture her hand—  

but she vanishes into the mist of who I was  

so I release her when she smiles    

recognizing myself reflected in her twinkling eyes      

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a noble dragon  

she sparkles with childhood jewels  

as she flies into view  

I reach out to touch her, to skip my fingers across her scales  

but she slips out of reach  

as she beckons me to follow her flight  

back to simple pleasures   

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse a dancing fairy  

she glimmers with tomorrow’s blessings   

as she throws a kiss my way  

I long to turn my head and follow her as I boogie along  

but she’ll vanish from sight     

so I let her tease me and entrance me all day     

listening for her breath and the whisper of her wings  

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman