the dragon lovers

I

sometimes the best place to spend a Saturday night

is at home,

sitting in front of the computer,

watching you paint.

sometimes it’s just you and me,

chatting about our surgeries

and how we’re recovering

and what our spouses are doing

and what mischief your kids have gotten into

and how much you love them.

by 10 or 11, the gang’s all here

and we laugh and we talk

about our jobs and our classes

and the music that’s playing

and the movies we’ve watched

and tea and headaches and chickens

and what constitutes cultural appropriation

versus honest spiritual exploration.

“PRESENTATION!”, we yell

as guns n’ roses plays

welcome to the jungle

and everyone else wonders what the hell we’re talking about

(they should have been here earlier).

sometimes Frai stands behind me

and reads along and we laugh together;

sometimes she sits in the other room

painting her own work of art.

and as you’re working, sometimes you chirp

just like a gryphon -

so adorable,

I don’t care how old we are.

II

and the weeks go by and the months go by

and still we spend the occasional evening here,

chatting and watching you paint

the dragon lovers,

up on the canvas in oils,

female and male,

red and white,

staring into each other’s eyes,

unaware of the portent

of the lightning-soaked, purple storm clouds

thundering behind them.

it was a classic story -

boy dragon meets girl dragon,

they fall in love,

and decide to spend the rest of their lives

together.

and so he commissioned this painting

to commemorate their love.

only now,

it’s a memorial.

oh, she is still alive,

her love, not so much -

it burned hot like fire

then cooled quickly to ash

and blew away.

III

and the weeks go by and the months go by

and still you work intently

as we keep you company

and you paint light on dark,

stroke by stroke,

glaze by glaze,

your masterpiece.

and though they may have long ago parted,

through your skilled hands

and utter dedication

(no matter how many times you say you’re sick of looking at it),

their love lives on.

the dragon lovers join us each night

as we talk of our own lives

and our own loves.

and as you paint the final highlights,

still the embers glow into the night...

(© 2011 Cassander)