The Splinter Dragon

Twice upon a winter’s calling in the snow succinctly falling
Came the bawling Splinter dragon to the cliff beyond the veil.
Withered motion in commotion of the dragon’s dawning notion
As the waves beyond the ocean streamed within each teary swell.
As the bawling Splinter dragon choked upon each teary swell
With the twitching of his tail.

Here again a greenish glower as the snowflakes drop to shower
O'er the scaly hide empowering the loss of trident might.
Sought and searching in his perching on the cliff awhile the lurching
Of his body came to scorching flame apart from snowy night.
Of his brooding pain within the frame upon the snowy night
Never taking once to flight.

O'er the ocean there below him fell the embers growing so dim
In the presence of a lost whim, dragon crashed upon the earth.
One did wander, yet to ponder, and the dragon stealing yonder
Slipped asunder in the worry of this one escaping girth.
Slipped asunder fearing for the one who fled from dragon’s girth,
Contemplation finding birth.

Hanging, dangling from the cliff amidst the strangling single riff
The stiff and motionless endearing cliff of rock and snow and grass
Abroad the Splinter dragon's peeling from the ground astride his kneeling
Gave to feeling in his dealing with the loss of elfin lass.
Gave to feeling in his reeling loss of she, the elfin lass
There beyond the hanging pass.

Painful rigour in his vigour to surpass the looming trigger
Of the one who fled the bigger scene of who the dragon was
Because of teaching in the reaching as the trimming lined the breeching
In the moment of impeaching she who bled the dragon's cause.
In the direst desolation furthering the dragon’s cause.
Here he had to stop and pause.

Wind in crushing fits of blushing formed in red aside the flushing
O'er the mouth of dragon rushing from his tooth in cheek command.
His band of others kept in cover o'er the truth he did recover
As he left them all another time to seek his own demand.
As in desperation he moved on to seek his own demand,
Melting snowflakes on his hand.

Elf, the younger, full of hunger, led off by the lying Monger
Whose renumbering of dragon’s guild came as his only joy.
Once upon a time a member of the guild within the centre
Thence forsaking did he enter falsehood’s petulant employ.
Thence forsaking dragon slipped in falsehood’s petulant employ
Only deeming to destroy.

Monger stole the elf in silence to avoid the wrath of violence
In the ticking tome of timeless action lying all the more.
She, the elf, met with seduction of the Monger's cruel induction
And fell into his instruction there beyond the wintry shore.
And fell into his reduction, lost beyond the wintry shore
Where the dragon did implore.

Now these days in ways surpassing health and merit thus amassing
Dragon in his fevered passing of the pathway giving hope
Frigid chill upon the cold blood as he wiped the sticking snow-mud
Off the matted place of his thud while descending down the slope.
Off his cheek, the sticky dried blood while descending down the slope,
Heavy rock within his grope.

Side of cliff he held divorcing in his hand awhile the forcing
Of the snow and windfall coursing structuring his ebb and flow
Collected in an instance blaring as he scaled the full wall daring
Never once for himself caring, only that he had to go.
Never once himself he thought of; only that he had to go.
Then the Monger made his show.

Voice of hatred in the yelling while the cliff the dragon scaling
Nearly plunked into the felling of the Monger’s fitful cry.
"If you want her, come and get her." Said he ruefully to incur
In the echo that did infer someone here would surely die.
In the echo giving knowledge someone surely soon would die;
Someone soon would say goodbye.

Spreading wings aloft the chasm dragon burst o'er in a spasm
Seeming as some odd phantasm nearing to the Monger's door.
Just behind the waves imploded as within the dragon goaded
O'er exploded anger's motive to grab elf and flee the shore.
O'er the plan to grab the elf and flee from off the Monger's shore,
Leary of the liar’s lore.

Noble bearing in his wearing of the painful hurt in swearing
He would take aback the snaring Monger who knew all too well
The Splinter dragon in his loving would befit a simple shoving
To depart as evil's gloving would cement him in its shell.
To ensure the wicked Monger would cement him in its shell
His device he came to sell.

"I am weary in the dreary winter winds, and thinking clearly
I am nearly out of options to dispense my hate for you.
Thus your life you will now forfeit, if you truly think her worth it
And my hold o'er’er her will then quit if this act you will now do.
And the only way she lives is if this act you will now do."
Dragon did not think it through.

"Pity you in this your voicing, for the angels soon rejoicing
O'er the lost again rejoining to the Maker's Kingdom Book
As His will to lose no single and here as we mix and mingle
Feel the tingle of the truth dig in before you as you look.
Feel the truth of one soul given life before you as you look."
He prepared for Monger's hook.

Baring chest to Monger's gleaming, fitful eyes begotten beaming
In the midst of elf whose screaming tore the chill in tattered lot
Seeing dragon in deception fitted with the Monger's weapon
And the plot fold in conception as she moved out of her cot.
And she passed the Monger from her station in her tiny cot
Smelling decomposing rot.

Laughter fell upon body of the dragon while the haughty
Monger snickered at his naughty deed content within his mind.
Elfin lass ran fast, then faster for the Monger, he chased after
Seeking in his crude disaster to dispose of all things kind.
Seeking to destroy the teachings of each thing he dubbed as kind
Leaving only filth behind.

Nara, she the elf whose fleeting thumped along in her retreating
As she found her heart entreating for forgiveness of her sin
Knowing he who came to save her truly gave all as her saviour
Though amidst her rash behaviour she mistook him in chagrin.
Though he loved her she had left him with her heart full of chagrin,
Now her spirit born again.

Dampness melted in a moment, brightest light thence leapt upon it
And the dragon sought opponent who had laid him in the grave.
When the elf believed the story, Splinter dragon received glory
As the Maker's category burst within the seaside cave.
As the Splinter dragon rose again from in the seaside cave,
His intent only to save.

Greenish skin becoming white, his anthem took at once to flight
And lo he met eager to fight the Monger, who stared on in shock.
"It cannot be!" he said in horror, seeing last his final morrow
As no time left his to borrow came in dragon's fatal stock.
As no longer would he live as came the dragon's fatal stock
Dropping on him like a rock.

"Monger, you will live forever as a tempest stopping never
but from flesh now I do sever you in banishment’s refine.
You will haunt the souls of any, whether few or whether many
But in me they will be set free by the Maker’s own design.
But in me there is salvation by the Maker’s own design,
His the holy will divine."

Bright as lightening, very frightening in a scene of flame igniting
He the Monger there abiding death of flesh a thousand year
Where a prison thus awaited as his lot had been so fated
And no more to be debated evanesced, did disappear.
And the dragon saw no longer he who there did disappear
Filling dragon full of cheer.

In the meantime, Nara crying to the guild as they were trying
To forgive her for the lying and the pain she brought to all
Exposed the death of dragon giving and her new-found heart for living
And again she sought forgiving nature to tear down the wall.
And again she sought forgiveness to come batter down the wall
When the dragon came to call.

Blinding radiance ensued as there the dragon fast pursued
The guild to welcome Nara's mood of changing soul in each embrace
As in his death life found detection in the dragon’s resurrection
Building all in one connection summed up in the Maker's grace.
Building bridge for all to cover summed up in the Maker's grace
Celebrated in that place.

"Nara, here and now I claim you as my own and do not blame you
any longer as the words you uttered truly saved your soul.
Just as you, so many others who my gift will thus discover
Will from sin and death recover as in me they are made whole.
Will from this world find a refuge as in me they are made whole
Thus fulfilling Maker's goal."

There the Splinter dragon glistened while the guild stood on to listen
As the elf in her commission gave them all a glowing spark
Through the weary winds of winter then the dragon known as Splinter
Spread his wings for all to enter bringing light unto the dark.
Spread his wings to give his love to all who once stood in the dark
There beside the white tree bark.

James Matthew Byers is a published author(Grecian Rune, 2004) and a father of two. He has been married to his wife, Dorothea, for seven years. Currently, he teaches Special Education at St. Clair County High School in Odenville, AL. He resides with his family and two cats in Rainbow City, AL.

Find more by James Matthew Byers in the Author Index.

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