THE BALLAD OF KALNAT THE MIGHTY

Kalnat was his common name
His dragon name he hid
And I alone can tell the tale	
Of one great deed he did

'Twas on a bright September day
In Yukon's frigid clime
Our party hunted Sasquatch
In caves with beards of rime

From legends writ in ancient tongue
We hoped to find our prey
And little heeded warnings vague
Of dangers on the way

Around the campfire late one night
The ice did crack and roar
And split and twisted 'til we knew
The malice that it bore

Through fearful heart and sleepless night
We awaited dawn's reprise
Beneath its rays ice giants stood
With bleak and deadly eyes

One arctic breath our fire put out
One glance - our hope was done
With three of our number stiff and cold
We sped toward the setting sun

Onward we sped for thirteen days
Hunters now hunted by death
A cavern dark and unexplored
We entered and paused for breath

To nameless gods in unknown words
We prayed for our release
And offered them whate'er they would
If they would give us peace

Then out of the depths at the back of the cave
A voice most fell did creep
It hissed and it spat and demanded to know
"Who dare disturb my sleep?"

White! Bright white! so clear it hurt
From out of the back did come
The mighty ice dragon so large and old
With voice like a booming drum

Large and thin his icy wings
And sharp his golden claws
"I am Kalnat the Mighty!", he said
As snow burst from his jaws

My friends did stare, mute and benumbed
At the answer to their plea
And dropping down upon the ground
Their very lives did flee

I spoke of the giants we had seen
Of all that they had done
With chilling howl and numbing speed
He flashed into the sun

The day was lost 'midst shards of ice
As giant and dragon clashed
And mountains fell, and earthquakes rent
And frigid titans flashed

The wind did shriek, and blizzard laugh
At all on whom it fell
And the only scene they left behind
Was a lifeless frozen hell

For days untold the battle raged
First Northward then to South
And victorious roar was heard to come
From the glacial dragon's mouth

He speared me with his crystal eye
In my mind his words did run
"Return to your home, oh mortal man
And tell what I have done."

"And I will give you proof for all
To see who look on high."
Then he showed me the Borealis lights
Made by giants thrown to the sky

"For dragons are an ancient race
With years beyond your ken
But ne'er have we in all our years
Done harm to the race of men."

"And this is the price that is asked of your prayer
In fate's beknotted skein
Help us by telling your race the truth
And ending the dragon's pain."

Now teller and tale are ended at last
And Kalnat is gone with the night
But the flickering lights of those giants he slew
Make me sure of his wisdom and might

© Deane P. Goodwin