Wednesday 17 August 2011

{a small dragon} ... a month of poetry...

rain forest

I found a small dragon in the woodshed

Think it must have come from deep inside a forest
because it's damp and green and leaves
are still reflecting in its eyes.

I fed it on many things, tried grass,
the roots of stars, hazel-nut and dandelion,
but it stared up at me as if to say, I need
food you can't provide.

It made a nest among the coal,
not unlike a bird's but larger,
it is out of place here
and is quite silent.

If you believed in it I would come
hurrying to your house to let you share my wonder,
but I want instead to see
if you yourself will pass this way.

Brian Patten



Photo Credit

8 comments:

  1. This is one of my favourite poems in our book of children's poetry—a book I bought because I completely fell in love with it. The children saw me pore over it, and then…they themselves passed that way. :) They spent days and days with it, dreamed over it, were inspired by it. Thank you SO much for sharing these beautiful words, Suzy!

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  2. I love the pictures Suzy...just beautiful.
    Funny when I read the title of your post, I have been working on a post about dragons [flies] here and thought that is what I would see. I haven't read this poem before, but am making a copy for my pleasure reading...thank you.xx

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  3. What a lovely poem - new to me. I particularly love the last verse: "If you believed in it..." As they say, Believing is Seeing! Children are much better at than than we adults, generally.

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  4. I LOVED this poem. I have never read it, but it wakes the aching wish for magical things to come true. My daughter has cried herself to sleep often for the same wish. I hope I find the book Helena mentioned, I will be searching!! Thanks Suzy!

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  5. MJ (and Suzy!), sorry I forgot to mention the name of the book! It's "The Hutchinson Treasury of Children's Poetry." It's just lovely :)

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