A small dragon

I’ve found a small dragon in the woodshed.
Think it must have come from deep inside a forest
because it’s damp and green and leaves
are still reflecting in its eyes.

I fed it on many things, tried grass,
the roots of stars, hazel-nut and dandelion,
but it stared up at me as if to say, I need
foods you can’t provide.

It made a nest among the coal,
not unlike a bird’s but larger,
it is out of place here
and is mosttimes silent.

If you believed in it I would come
hurrying to your house to let you share this wonder,
but I want instead to see
if you yourself will pass this way.

Copyright: from Love Poems (Flamingo (HarperCollins), 1990), copyright © Brian Patten 1990, used by permission of the author.

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It’s no wonder that Brian Patten’s poems appeal to both children and adults – he’s a great example of the importance of keeping a ...

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About A small dragon

Sometimes poems that were never intended for children get adopted by them. This next poem is one such poem, and it's called 'A Small Dragon'.

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