March 28^th, 1999

Once, I wished to ride a dragon

And to be taken into the darkness eternal.

After the winter passed

And the rains had come and gone,

He called to me.

I rose up and went to him,

And to my greatest hope and fear, he showed me the price of my naive offering…

My body, my soul, a living sacrifice

To the panting roar of the dragon’s lust.

Screaming into my brain,

Spun in the tumultuousness of flesh upon flesh.

The fallen scent of wild winter roses

(Oh, Lucifer’s bloom!)

the dark of bitter tears ever soft caught like jewels

sparkling in the harshness of bewildering light.

Drowning, choking, gasping…

(Air!)

A grip greater than death.

Like flame,

The searing pain of pleasure,

A tongue of fire…

The mind burns in its own torture,

Though not unaware of the body’s exquisite agony.

Baptized in scorching dragonfire,

Crazed for light,

Crowned with soft curls

Trembling like the flanks of a hunted doe,

Like a child

Seduced in the cover of artificial night.

False darkness, where I found wonder…

Eyes gleaming like frosted stars,

Raw animal heat and gravity of purpose:

All I saw and felt and knew

Reflected in the black void of dragonscale.

I surrendered…

My lips…!

I relinquished…

Mt throat…!

I am conquered…

And I hear my voice cry out, a word set free from pride:

“Champion!”

WindChaser

1999