THE ENCHANTER

In days long gone from memory's reach,
The Enchanter, his acolytes did teach.
He taught of powers and of fire,
He taught of love and man's desire.

He taught of pain; he taught of greed,
He taught of fear and taught of need.
And when he'd done with sharing all,
A student asked about the fall.

Five thousand years and some ago,
The dragons lived, for it is so,
Written in the books of lore...
In a time long gone before.

And man was growing in the land,
Becoming like the desert sand.
Wherever dragons had their home,
Man was fearful there to roam.

But as their number grew in count,
Man's strength and fearlessnes did mount.
Often men did venture far,
To kill a dragon, and called it war.

Until the dragons knew the day
Had come - no other way,
But to put a fearful end,
To the slaught'ring bands of men.

There followed war that scorched the lands,
Which put a stop to slaught'ring bands.
And after all was said and done,
Man retreated - no battle won.

Few dragons in the world remained,
With death and turmoil - what was gained?
Leaving with remaining kin,
The dragons - few were seen again.

For deep within the mountain caves,
The dragons chanted over graves,
And took on them the forms of men,
That slaughter would not rise again.

The stories tell how from that day,
There's fire inside, the Ancients say.
For if you have the power within,
Then you are born from Dragon kin.

Kaza 1996