The Spider and the Dragon (Revised 1/13/26)

 

“Something of value, let me see!” 

Between crisp sheets, she intertwines her webs.

Lattice lines, words layered top over bottom, she leaves them there,

goes underground, peering out into the expanse of the city from below....she waits.

“Has anyone come?  Have there been any bites? Oh, what to do with all these hands?"

Behind gutter grates her eyes alight waiting to catch one true soul among the liars.

"Ahh, this bed of treasure…"  

Mellifluous, he makes music of needles, but never a love song!

Costumed in ripped sacks, many believe him to be a butcher and 

when he spits fire no one gets any ideas!

He plays with knives and kisses girls that run with lollypops.

But under his gilded scales he longs to be touched, to hang on someone's lips and

be read to until he falls asleep.

But his tears pool around him, "I too large to ever be held!”

“Enough of this non-sense!”

The Siren calls them both, she wants to make amends, this time she isn't lying!

But the Dragon blows noble smoke and rolls in his gold.

Scuttling in the shadows the spider sees a  shape, “Could this be the one?” She hides her face.

Neither will come to the rocks where the Siren has called and she keens for them both.

“What is to become of the Spider’s busy hands, and her words? Oh, her empty web!”

The Siren laments for the Dragon’s gold, his desire to be brought to into Ballad.

Ringing her hands she wails “His ocean of sadness, surely the Spider can save him!”

But neither can see the other.

Both have followed the Siren song far too many times to ever believe again.

Luring songstress! She really shouldn't have lied for all those years!