Year of the Dragon 龙年
Enter the wood Dragon.
Another day & beginning the cycle
Leaping into a turbulent
Transformative lunar new year.
Lucky numbers 1, 6 & 7.
3 & 8 avoid if you can.
Lucky colors gold, yellow, silver.
Limit blue & green
Advised the sage.
& the obligatory red,
Fan Tai Sui must be appeased.
Wear red briefs, red socks,
Red knickers, anything red…
& go to church, the temple,
Synagogue or mosque.
Celebrate with family
& with or friends.
If solitary is your serving
Open the window, smile!
Let us invite
Another new year in.
What can be said
About entering the Dragon.
That divine creature. Creator,
Destroyer, shapeshifter
Said to take on human form.
Identified with Jiaolong,
Not those ferocious flying
Fire breathing dinosaurs,
Nor the one that
Saint George slayed.
More benevolent,
Less malevolent,
This Dragon breathes
Spirit clouds instead.
A composite of a head
Shaped like a camel,
Antlers of a stag,
Ears of a bull,
Body of a snake,
117 scales of a carp,
Belly of a clam,
Feet of a tiger,
Talons of an eagle
& eyes of a demon –
Ever seen a demon?
Have it as you will.
Tenacious,
Courageous,
Tianlong for President!
A dominant, ambitious spirit,
Emperors proclaimed it:
I’m a son of a Dragon –
I’m a son of Heaven.
So why in the Great Race
Did you come 5th place?
Jade Emperor bemused,
Queried why you not first?
Such a powerful being
You can fly without wings,
The Dragon took a pause
& proceeded to explain.
There was a fire blazing
In a village en route.
The people begged for water
To extinguish the danger.
The Dragon produced rain
Which took a little time…
Then flying over the forest,
& back on track,
A crane was to be eaten
By a fierce wild dog.
The Dragon intervened
& the vigorous fight took
Longer than expected.
Then on the last leg,
Over the swirling current,
On course to break
The finishing tape on land,
He saw the rabbit in distress,
Desperately clinging to a log.
Took pity & advanced
A helping hand.
Puffed the magic Dragon
Forfeited the glory,
Easing the rabbit
Safely to shore.
Impressed Jade Emperor,
Though the Dragon came 5th,
Sanctioned it
To reside in the celestial sky;
& master the creatures
Of the bountiful seas.
A master of the rain – ordained,
An immensely generous
& noble being.
A symbol of power & honor:
Though out of all in the zodiac
The only fictious character.
Lunar year starts tragic –
Raging conflicts,
Problematic elections,
Economic strife,
Seething inflation,
Job insecurity,
Some going hungry,
Double digits
Just to live in your home.
Tianlong.
Before immersing in longwu,
We summon you to petition
Jade Emperor Yu Huang:
Calm this earthly thunder.
Work your magic
Work your wonders.
Project your reflection –
& if we make it
祝你好运:
Year of the Snake,
Slithering through.