Empire of Dragons: Dragons & Cicadas (Watty Awards 2012)

The Sky, A Reflection

Sometimes I think about the humble beginnings of dragons

all of them spreading forth from a single source

learning, growing, and eventually

the stars are their home—our home

Our ships reached planet after planet

empty worlds were soon populated

or worlds full of life were taken into our care

joining together with the fauna and expanding our diversity was one of our goals

from the gentle life forms or hostile creatures of alien worlds, new dragons were born

I am unsure if I could call earth our greatest achievement

yes, we have accomplished many things on this world

but we lost so much

however, I still call earth my home

I was born here, this planet is a part of me

Humans look up and they see us flying around

going where we need to go

flying for leisure

here, in Rome, we crowd the skies.

In the city, away from wide-open spaces

when they see us fly, they do not think of us as a threat

that's because "the dragons who talk won't dare hurt us!" They say

but venture farther out, into the mountains and the valleys, the hills that roll for miles

or in the searing heat of deserts and in the mist of the jungles

or even the within coldest of the arctic storms

where dragons roam free, and humans will be singing a different tune.

Out there, dragons hunt freely, love freely and live freely

and yet, humans threaten that by imposing hunting restrictions

they staunch our breeding methods in an effort to slow down our population increase

dragons suffer enough on this rock

humans have managed to degrade the lowest tier dragons—dragons incapable

of defending themselves properly, or dragons bound to The Code,

or dragons who are human mixed and too in-tune with their human side.

I want to say I cannot feel their pain, but I do

it takes a special talent to tune out the cries of your children

it's something I've honed over the years

I shut them out and sometimes I lower my guard

I let them back in

just for a peek at how they are faring

the moment I let them in I feel their souls being crushed

grated, ground into fine dust

over and over again

my mind is invaded by racing thoughts

my mouth goes dry and my eyes well with tears

My lips quiver as breaths escape in ragged hiccups