Astal

                                                                  “Astal” the Dragon.

I was once a legend, a memory, a hero a father to my clan

My people gathered all their food and shared with all to plan.

The gates that guard this world of ours are closed and watched by night

And standing on the parapet’s the men who defend us as is their right.

The land is ours to farm and mill and keep our cattle safe

Our memories are our past, our future is ours my friend

           I am one of the oldest in my tribe, one of the elders and so brave

I led my people to battle when the Silver heads came upon us

Our battle was glorious and many lives were taken and lost

But we secured our lives from the fire and the killing frost

We will always stand as one, as limbs off a mother’s body

As wolves guarding the lair from marauding humans.

                           Astal came and killed my kin and bombed and burned my land

For even though we were prepared for war, for this day we had not planned

His breath of hatred for mankind scorched away all we had built

His remaining eye saw only one thing, our, my destruction.

The glare from the sun meant we saw no smile on the face of this devil

Only a silhouette of death falling from the sky aiming for my heart.

                             “Get the children to safety, release the bows! Fight! Save your soul”

My orders given, my help and prayer we ran, to live be our goal.

The barn, the corn, the cattle shed we had to save these

Winter was upon us and food was hard to come by

The fight went on…

The mothers ran, our children ran, the men prepared to fight

Astal was a Dragon, a creature of legend, of terror and fright

The breath he spewed in glorious flames lit a sacred night

I was the man so long ago when just a boy was I

Who took my lance and threw it hard and took his vengeful eye.

For many years he had watched us and took a beast for food

But never before dared to threaten me and my brood

He was getting braver, desperate, and dangerous.

Our home was in a valley in the Northern part of Wales

We built a school, a barn and church and coracles without sails

But all the time we built he watched us waiting for us to fail

Our barricades were built and moats we dug and filled

Yet still he took our livestock and all our warriors killed

Astal would never leave us, he would see it to the end.

                                                     A dragon is a creature with heart or care

He never had a family or love or child to share

This evil flying lizard with claws that strike and kill

With breathe of pure heartache and hatred at his will

Astal will never ease the way he burns our land

Not until his body is burned upon our land.

But a time has come when I cannot with all my heart and mind

Carry on living with evil of this kind

My men must all now muster the strength to kill this beast

And then as a friend and brother drink and pray at feast.

So now a plan to action a method to our plight

And with our bows and arrows a means to aid our fight

                             The day was set, the time had come to lure him to his death

And from this day unto the end we shall not fear his breath

A trap was on, a time to hide a beast to set our trap

And with his sure great demise a cheer, a song a clap

Astal was now seen a mile or so away

So standing strong with hearts of gold this would be our day.

The wind that tore through every alley was heated by his breath

And every poor unhidden sole was burned and baked to death

Yet our trap was set to be the glory that we sought

And with a net, a sword and spear this was a battle fought

His skin was penetrated by swords of wish and faith

And as we ran for shelter his heart was targeted with haste

Astal was now upon us his blood began to pour

We threw, we sang we cried with pain and struck him down once more

The fire in his heart was as weak now as his breath

We all soon celebrated this mighty dragon’s death

We pulled out all his magic, his teeth, his claws and tongue

And gave a mighty roar as over this beast we had won

Our heard it now grows stronger and never are we scared

Our shields and men and hearts were all that we have bared.

But without the threat of Astal we are men without a ghost

Respect has us mourning the foe we feared most

So rest in peace Dragon Astal the last one of your kind

With all your pain and horror you are always on my mind

Our life in our village will still and strongly move on

And even though we are safe I miss you now you are gone.