Impossible Gifties 4: Poem by Sheena Blackhall

for Gift 4: Dragon’s Nest — Scottish Storytelling Centre

The Dragon

In a dark neuk o Embro toun
A thochtie aff the Canongate
A dragon’s egg, jade green an roon
Hatched oot a thoosan years ower late

The craitur hodged an raxxed its wings
Syne kittled up an set its mind
Tae scoor the cassies, wynds an stairs
In search o ithers o its kind

Tae Embro castle first it flew
Inbye St Margaret’s chapel bouer
Caunles an sancts in peintit glaiss
War aa that held the dragon’s glower

It hirplit ower the castle hill
An dowpit bi the witches’ well
The warlocks, knichts an ghaists war gaen
Nae hint o cantrip, imp nor spell

Bi Brodie’s Close, St Giles’ kirk
Traffic an towrist hashed on by
The Street o Sorras, tae, wis teem
O aa bit History’s daith-cry

It lowped tae Mary’s palace syne
Thinkin it auld eneuch tae be
A bield for fabled, mythic breets
Bit nocht wis there bit statuary

The Warld’s Eyn. The dragon stopped
Deid in its tracks an drappit doon
It wis inveesible tae aa
The waukers in the modern toun

A steer ower at the Netherbow
Gart the young dragon lift its een
It pressed its snoot agin the peens
An catched the glamo’rie o yestreen

Intae a thoosan sangs an tales
It stepped. They bad the dragon bide
For fit’s a warld withoot the fey?
As wae’s a groom wioot his bride!

© Sheena Blackhall 2012