Stuffed Dragonon
my mom told me stories about you,
about how you could breath fire
and how arrows would bounce off your scales
and how your talons could grasp she and I
and fly away so far no one
would ever see us again.
(how I believed in you
but where were you when)
the bullies captured me
in the school lavatory and
dunked my head until my
nose was filled with snot,
blood, and toilet water
angry and ashamed
sitting on the dirty floor
counting the tiles with
the tips of my fingers
to pass the time until
the bell rang.
(how I wanted you to bite them in two
and incinerate their lunch boxes)
but it was Mrs. Roy that came in
and took me to get patched up
by the school nurse who called
my mother to come get me
(when I wanted all the kids to see me
flying home bravely on your back)
where were you when I got home
and my father called me
useless
and told me I had better learn to
use these fists to defend myself
if I was going to make it in this
tough world
(where were your magic green scales, dragon
that could feel no pain)
when he showed me how by
pounding me good and hard
until I cowered in the cave
under my bed
all while you watched...
and when my mother came in
to dry my tears, and to say she was sorry
it was you she gave to me when she was done
to protect me from the bad people in this world...
but the next morning you were gone,
and there was just a stuffed dragon in your spot
sitting there watching my mother cry in silence
the last time she made
my empty bed
my mom told me stories about you,
about how you could breath fire
and how arrows would bounce off your scales
and how your talons could grasp she and I
and fly away so far no one
would ever see us again.
(how I believed in you
but where were you when)
the bullies captured me
in the school lavatory and
dunked my head until my
nose was filled with snot,
blood, and toilet water
angry and ashamed
sitting on the dirty floor
counting the tiles with
the tips of my fingers
to pass the time until
the bell rang.
(how I wanted you to bite them in two
and incinerate their lunch boxes)
but it was Mrs. Roy that came in
and took me to get patched up
by the school nurse who called
my mother to come get me
(when I wanted all the kids to see me
flying home bravely on your back)
where were you when I got home
and my father called me
useless
and told me I had better learn to
use these fists to defend myself
if I was going to make it in this
tough world
(where were your magic green scales, dragon
that could feel no pain)
when he showed me how by
pounding me good and hard
until I cowered in the cave
under my bed
all while you watched...
and when my mother came in
to dry my tears, and to say she was sorry
it was you she gave to me when she was done
to protect me from the bad people in this world...
but the next morning you were gone,
and there was just a stuffed dragon in your spot
sitting there watching my mother cry in silence
the last time she made
my empty bed