AN ENCOUNTER

 An Encounter

And one evening
sitting on the threshold I saw
a flame,, a torch,.
inside the walls of a lantern
approaching fast
as if on the winds,
a storm-borne, storm-blown lantern
in sheathes of dark.
The lantern was coming
tossed on the storm on the wintry wind,
and I took alarm.
It was surely aimed at me,
to strike, to blow me out.
Before I could flee inside my abode
the lantern came and transformed into a man,
spouting venom
like the tongue of a dragon
intent to kill.
The dark that shrouded the lantern
was no longer dark;
the cover blew.
Inside was everything that was burning yet
and wanted to burn
all that the dragon could ever catch to destroy.
And why me of all,
when all I recall having said to one
was: "Shed light on all;
do not burn, do not scald!"
That was no time ,
no moment of encounter
that could transform
a raving man, a foul tongue.
A time to disappear and walk away
to another realm,
another world and another time
where dragons do not roam about to kill

 Image credit : Fabien Todescato