He asks to see her art exam paper:
the subject set is 'Serendipity'.
She promptly looks it up: The faculty
of making fortunate discoveries
by accident, especially while looking
for something else" (coined by Horace Walpole
after 'The Three Princes of Serendip',
a fairy tale of chance discoveries).
So she draws a picture of a white man
in baggy shorts and a sola topee.
He's a butterfly hunter with a net
on an exotic tropical island.
In a clearing he beholds a dragon,
A lovely girl-dragon sitting alone
playing a friendless game of backgammon.
Serendipitously he's chanced upon
more than a butterfly, and she's acquired
a partner for her game of backgammon.
He asks her: "Does he net the dragon-girl?"
"Yes, he does - but the dragon-girl breathes fire".
"Is he falling in love with the dragon?"
"Yes, he is – but the fire is burning him."
"Do you think his love is unrequited?"
"Requited?"– she consults the dictionary:
Make return for, repay (for good or ill).
An early variant of 'quit': to clear;
Repay, relinquish, absolve, abandon;
Discharge; resting, free from war, debts; unmarried.
She thinks it is an unrequited love.
"But", he says to the girl, "unrequited
love is a prerequisite for heartbreak."
She looks up 'requisite': Necessary;
from 'requisitus', ask for, seek to know.
The girl asked for and sought for meaning.
The hunter sought the butterfly but found
an unasked for unrequited love for
a dragon-girl - bringing heartbreak and loss.
And the dragon-girl? How was she repaid? -
though in her innocence she sought nothing.
She got to breathe fire on a searching man
And found a backgammon partner – and won.
-
Author:
Robert Tilleard (
Offline) - Published: May 11th, 2023 12:25
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 7
Offline)
Comments2
an entertaining read, with layers
thanks for sharing
There in a life lived long enough would be a dragonness to every venturous boy, it would seem. And she, this dragon-girl almost always wins the game of backgammon. As for seeking words, they often seek us out first and in turn serves as impetus to seek them out. Such an engaging tale and lovely to have heard the poem voiced and interpreted. Most enjoyed.
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