The Dragon’s Gate
The Dragon’s Gate
She played by the rusty old rickety gate
In the falling down wood picket fence,
Whenever she went to Grandma’s house.
To her family, it didn’t make sense.
Amy was a little red-headed girl,
Just three and a half years old,
She had a very inquiring mind
And embraced everything she was told.
Her Mommy and Daddy they loved her so,
But they had to work every day,
So Amy went to Grandma’s house
Where she loved to explore and play.
One day as she played in the garden alone
The gate creaked and she looked up surprised.
A tiny green dragon appeared on the top,
Right in front of her little-girl eyes.
A child never doubts what he or she sees,
They believe in things adults cannot.
Among all the trees, the flowers and the bees,
Was a creature from folk-tales forgot.
“Dear child!” he exclaimed in a high chirpy voice,
“I have lingered here many a year,
For one with a pure and innocent heart
Who can look on me without fear.”
“Are you a real dragon?” the little girl asked
With eyes full of wonder and glee.
He just opened his mouth and expelled a flame,
“If you truly believe, it can be.”
Each day Amy played with her fantasy friend.
He’d relate wondrous tales to her ears,
But gay childhood days they soon turn to weeks,
And the weeks first to months, then to years.
Dragons live forever unless they’re slain by knights,
And little girls grow out of dolls and toys.
Fairytales and fantasies make way for other things,
Like best friends, mobile phones, and boys.
Amy’s visits lessened until she rarely came.
Then when dear Grandma passed away.
The garden was neglected, became badly overgrown,
And the little dragon sadly flew away.
To find another little child who was looking for a friend,
A boy or girl with an open heart and mind.
Who dreamt of things like fairies, mermaids and unicorns,
An imagination free of a worldly bind.
Years went by so slowly after Amy came no more,
But fantasies and dreams they never wain.
One day, someone brought the run-down place,
And it was brought to life again.
Flowers were planted, fence repaired,
A child’s laughter once more could be heard.
“Mommy, can I play outside?’ little Billie asked.
“Yes you can,” his mother said, “This was my Grandma’s yard.”
As Billie approached the still rusty old gate
It creaked and he looked up surprised.
A tiny green dragon appeared at the top,
In front of his little-boy eyes.
by John Hansen © 2016
Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction, and thoroughly enjoying this, especially flash fiction.
I have been fortunate to have two poems made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.
My services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.
It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems.
I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.
- The First Word – A Flash Fiction Story - January 18, 2024
- Dawns Song ~ and Twilight Serenade - December 1, 2023
- Weave Me a Story - June 15, 2023
That was absolutely delightful. I was a very imaginative child and all my stuffed animals took on real-life forms. I remember have a dragon but then out in the country I made friends with a real bullfrog and that was really amazing.
Thank you for sharing that about your childhood, Rasma. I am glad you enjoyed this poem and that it brought back memories.
Oh how I love this beautiful story in poetic form, John. My childhood was filled with dragons and others from the land of the fae. Thank you for a moment of return to the days when faeries and dragons were part of my life (truth be told, they still are). Wonderful work, John.
Thank you so much, Phyllis. I am glad you enjoyed this tale. I just couldn’t seem to get the meter and flow to my liking but the story is the main thing. We always need to retain some of our childhood wonder and belief.
Lovely tale John. It’s too bad we cant maintain that level of carefree childhood in every day life. The exploration of imagination, of purity and love seem to go to the wayside on favor of
Must have hit the send button by accident… lol. I’ll continue….in favor of, or maybe not in favor but in necessity of work and family support. I guess trying my hand in poetry let me explore again those magical worlds if but for a moment in time. Anyway, lovely work my friend.
Yes, Paul, you are right that work and responsibilities often push imagination and purity to the background. Poetry does help us revisit those things and bring them to the surface. thanks for reading.
John this poem is your own version of the Puff story. I love it. I will read this one to my daughter. Jamie
Great tale of childhood magic – you’ve really spun a beautiful story !
Yes, Jamie, you are right. It is my version of “Puff the Magic Dragon.” I always loved that song by Peter Paul and Mary as a child so it has stayed in my mind. I hope your daughter enjoys it.
Thank you, Ralph. I enjoy writing stories and poems for children. Glad you enjoyed this one.