The Dragon and the Maiden Fair

Dragon lonesome winged his way

‘cross empty mountain, plain, and bay

In search of rare and hidden mate

strove he against a forlorn fate

Misunderstood, great wyrm of sky

Had long outflown the battle cries

Of orc and elf and dwarf and man

(Seek they to slay him if they can)

They want his death for fame and treasure

For wealth and glory beyond measure

Knew they not this dragon’s hoard

Could not be won by bow nor sword

The dragon’s wealth was long since spent

On frivolous accoutrements

Items now misplaced and lost

Yet seeking serpent felt not the cost

What good is that which isn’t shared

came epiphany in steaming lair

so from dark cave did dragon burst

with fire and smoke to slake a thirst

Through wind and rain his wings were drenched

yet awakened fire was not quenched

o’er cathedral cloud the dragon marched

his flaming heart but dry and parched

dreamed he of scales of deepest green

and sharpened claws with glossy sheen

a dragonness, the queen of beasts

So hastened he into the east

The rising sun, horizons burning

In dragon’s eye reflected yearning

so long he sought but did not find

a single member of his kind

At last he landed, tired and cold

flame inside drawn weak and low

upon a field with thoughts despairing

his wings were sore, his journey—wearing

Asleep fell he, upon the hill

and dreamed sweet dreams of lovers’ thrills

whence came then soft voice on air

wakened he, found maiden fair

A brave young girl of seventeen

had spied the wyrm upon the green

of dragon’s magic much was said

sought she to dodge a greater dread—

Than death by tearing maw and teeth

Like sickles threshing fields of wheat

Brought she a gift of food in wagon

Took her chance and woke the dragon

Serpent grateful fast devoured

food and wood and dirt and flower

In one great bite the gift was gulped

Along with some of the hilltop

Folly thought the maiden then

of her errand and its end

But dragon curious left her alone

and thus he spoke, deep baritone

“Why hast thou shook me from my slumber?

your years appear but few in number

dost thou seek an early death

your body charred by flaming breath?”

“O! great wyrm,” she then beseeched

Her voice aquiver, fair face now bleached

“By bird and beast and tree and fish,

Invoke your magic, and grant my wish!” 

“Betrothed am I to vulgar prince

well known is he, in this province

for violent proclivities

and vile infidelities” 

“Family mine will make a fortune

a share of which I’ll see no portion

I beg of thee to intervene

ere I become forsaken queen”

Dragon’s heart thus was stirred

by maiden’s quick and earnest words

saw he did in her behest

an echo of his own great quest

said he, “Alas for your entreaty!

Thou hast confused me with a genie

magic mine makes conflagrations

false be other allegations

From maiden came despairing wail

thought her then the quest had failed

for surely was the prince a liar

but should she have him set on fire?

“Thy plight I cannot solve with magic

though your tale be truly tragic.

perhaps there is another course:

Fly with me to distant shores”

At this the maiden gave a start

and hope did blossom in her heart

the dragon offered swift egress

with wanderlust was she possessed

A fair breeze blew upon her face

and through she trembled in his gaze

steady was her nod of head

up she climbed twixt wings outspread

The dragon’s quest become her own

long they searched from town to town

Thus enduring bond was formed

strong it stayed through gale and storm

Found they much upon their journey

love and hate and fear and glory

fighting orcs and causing trouble

(They once reduced a fort to rubble)

And all the while they asked and looked

for any sign that could be took

for evidence of dragon dame

but not a whisper ever came

Time flew by beneath proud wings

came they to have respect of kings

but dragon’s deepest, longest yearning

was not met through all their searching

Until one night in mountain cave

another realization came

as maiden slept against his breast

upon his leg her soft caress

Companionship his heart had lacked

had been right there upon his back

continued search of long duration

never more in desolation

Years had passed whence the pair

far out to sea in cold night air

were forced to fly into the clouds

and thunder rumbled all around

Blind and cold and wet and tired

the father of all storms conspired

to throw them down into the waves

bodies failed but hearts were brave

The ocean rose as if in greeting

prepared were they for final meeting

A goddess kind then saw their plight

and knew the pair had lost the fight

She of fate and bonds and thread

Wanted not to see their end

Plucked them she from sodden doom

and wove them she through hallowed loom

She fixed them bright into the sky,

said, “blessed be, eternal fly

above the land you long traversed, 

sail thee now the universe.”

Cast up thy gaze on clear night

behold there cloaked in warm starlight

Celestial form of faithful pair

The dragon and the maiden fair

A Good Look in the Mirror

I don't blame Trump. He's a smart, manipulative guy. He gets people. In some ways, I admire the depth of his apparent understanding of emotion and control. No, blaming Trump for what's going on is much the same as him blaming all Muslims, or immigrants in general, and so on. It's a way of avoiding responsibility. Our problems, according to Trump, are not actually our fault. They're everyone else's fault. It's this thinking above all else that I find so distasteful. It's blind, feel-good bandwagoning, and it caters to the oldest parts of our evolutionary history, where the only good and trustworthy things were the members of our own tribes, sitting together with us around the campfire.
The bad things were the other, the tribes on the next hill, who were all murderers and rapists and thieves. And of course, those other tribes thought the same things of us. And, perhaps most disturbingly and inconveniently for our current electoral dilemma, sometimes these things were true.
However, it should be blindingly obvious that just because some terrorists identify as Muslim, it does not logically follow that an entire faith should be shunned and feared. Despite this basic fallacy, perfectly reasonable, intelligent human beings believe this anyway (I've talked to them), so it should be pretty unsurprising that Trump can find so many folks who go along with this narrative. After all, evolution taught us that it's better to commit genocide unjustly and survive than to be too trusting and be killed yourself. No one sees it this way, at least, not consciously. All they're aware of is that they perceive a threat to life, home, and family, so any response is justified. All they know is that overwhelming feeling, that emotion, of righteous anger and the need to band together and defend.

Look. We like being on different teams. We're addicted to it. Conflict and banding together drives everything in the social sphere. From story to game to play to work, life is conflict, and we often overcome it by banding together. It should not be surprising, then, that Trump is as successful as he is largely based on delusions of grandeur, grandstanding, and demonizing the other. No, what bothers me more than anything else is the enormous level of support he's found for this view. His rise has uncovered a vast population of individuals who are perfectly willing to believe anything they're told about other races, cultures, and faiths.

It's almost comical, because one side of the debate keeps saying "let's come together and solve our problems, acknowledge our differences, and cooperate to find solutions." But this clarion call falls on deaf ears, because the folks who most need to adopt that approach are the very people who are convinced that people who aren't like them need to die.

It's the realization that there are so many hate-filled tolerance-opposed human beings in this country that makes me weep. They would probably accuse me of being un-American for saying what I've said. And they would find legions to agree. Trump already has. What's sad is that they *do* make me feel un-American. I'm not like them, and I find it so difficult to understand their point of view. Democrats are quick to blame the Republican establishment for Trump's rise, but I'm not convinced it's their fault, really. Sure, the dysfunction in Congress has led to vast populations of the disenfranchised on both sides, but there's a big difference between those who are dissatisfied and fed-up with partisan politics (most folks), and essentially fascist Trump supporters.

You can't blame Republicans for the extremists. You can't blame Trump for the extremists. You can only look in the mirror and wonder from what depths our the human psyche such destructive world-views arise.