Dragon Stew

On an early morning just before school My tummy is churning my head hurts too My feet are cold my forehead is hot I have a runny nose and a tongue with blue dots “Mom come quick!” I helplessly shout I think I’m sick what is it now Mom feels my forehead looks at my eyes “Oh my! “ She says about that tongue of mine “You will go to Aunt T’s I have to go to work Aunt T’s magically keen about the healing of hurts I’ll give her a call and see if she’s there Or miss work that’s all to get you doctor’s care” “Oh not the doctor!” I say “I don’t want to go The people are nice but the time goes slow” “Aunt T is home.” My mother says relieved She hangs up the phone and we go to Flint St. Where my Aunt T lives a house on the hill That my great grandfather Terry built As mom pulls up sitting there on the porch with her tea Is Aunt T full of love always welcoming me Once before with fever I was sick Aunt T told mom how to get rid of it What a sight I was then with chicken pox itchy Bathing in the tub pretending to be to be at sea I had bronchitis once and played video games The ouchy ear infections no match for cartoons on the brain And with the flu oh me oh my All I wanted to was sleep and sigh Mom kisses me and Aunt T goodbye She gets off work at half past five Aunt T looks and begins to think Gets her book of recipes near the sink She says,“It is a rare illness but much like a cold You need the quickness of holy water and hope You need a special prayer and plenty love which you got And dragon stew with potatoes hot from the pot” “Dragon stew! “I exclaim “Oh what a funny name There is no such thing as dragons Aunt T So dragon stew simply jut can’t be” Aunt T laughs and then she winks “Well it’s a long story she says but I think If you listen well you will understand the tale” The story goes like this. There is a boy about your age Who went to bed and did not pray In the night he got a scare A terrible fright from a horrible nightmare The Lord keeps him safe from all harm Because God loves children still the boy is alarmed He shouts out loud to Mr. Nightmare man “Stay out of my house my sleep my land” Nightmare man laughs so For he can steal the boys sleep and kill the boys hope Making the boy tired and weak Nightmare man is able to steal joy Never again would be the happy boy. Nightmare man retorts “Your sleep belongs to me And when you don’t pray I leap With joy at another soul hat may be mine in a decade or so” “You can’t have my soul I belong to me and I am bold” The boy says with such a vain That Nightmare man laughs and laughs till pain and says “Bold are you is that a fact where is your army of men For if you want your soul back you must slay a dragon to win Unless that is you are a weak little scared cat Which deep in your heart I say you are that "I am not!" with anger boy shouts "Where is the dragon bring it here now?!" Then with a big boom a red dragon appears in the room It is so tall and huge the boy’s eyes fill with fear and gloom He tries to fight it throwing toys and dodging it With aped the boy narrowly escapes Running into the closet where boy begins to pray "Lord I repent from being vain Forgive me Lord and help me change" Then there is a noise so boy peeps around the door And sees the dragon begin to shrink Into a little dragon fly that is not mean Nightmare man disappears With him goes anxiety and fear The dragonfly buzzed around quick Still the boy did not kill it For the Lord saved and blessed the boy Who believes in the power of prayer of course The little boy is happy and the dragonfly lives For the Lord will slay your dragon blessing you and it Aunt T goes outside to get an herb Tells me to close my eyes and listen to her words "God loves you He is the power within With him and dragon stew you will be well again." I didn’t know it but while the story was being told Aunt T made stew with dragonfly crackers and cloves She uses hot sauce tomatoes onions and rice Special bones broth parmesan cheese and spice It taste so good I ate it all Fell asleep and dreamed happy and tall Maybe it was her stew or it could have been her wit 20 years ago that day I knew why dragon flies really live Dragons test our faith and force us to choose life For using right or wrong ways affect how you live and die Yes from that day forward never forgot what I was told Aunt T now with the Lord and in me her essence and words of gold That is how it came to me use my gifts to do good will Especially the day I did see the dragon in my boss O’Neal He was at work sick boy did everyone know Bob O’Neal was being a jerk more than usual so Lunch time came and we look forward to relief But Bob is yelling at Ann for his tuna sandwich is on rye bread not wheat . I see Anne’s face is a strawberry of anger frustration and tears Upset she storms away thinking why do I work here? I see Bob the dragon there in a two thousand dollar suit Roaring like a hungry bear so I walk in there and offer him stew Bob looks a bit green as if he is fatigued Lonelier than mean love and friends he needs He begins to smile when he tastes it at first Then he lap it down as if a terrible thirst Has jumped from his heart and wrapped up his soul The fear of God in the stew has blessed Bob with hope He leans back in his chair Made a loud burp sighs Says "excuse me" and sits there "My mom use to cook like that She died many years back Forgot what love tasted like Who made the stew was t your mom or your wife?" I saw the dragon begin to shrink I say," It’s my aunt’s recipe." I tell him its true and he asks for it I write it down fast but share there is one trick "You have to share the stew or it is no good Since Anne works with you with her share you should." Bobs face is beet red he knows how mean he was He pages Ann instead Telling her to come on up Bob Seats Ann in his chair And serves her dragon stew Made us all laugh with flair With his with that we never before knew Everyone got a raise that day It was a blessing for all Even I must say I did not really know the boss Until he sat down and ate a little stew And I listened despite his temperamental mood The office now has a soup bowl in the basement We give stew to those who want and love to taste it We sale the dragon stew mugs candles and a new chili But my favorite is a new fragrance great stuff We call it dragonflies and lilies It is the newest tool in chemical war fare Instead of guns we use love and dragonflies and lilies with care