I Need my Dragons

I needed a dragon,
A very fine dragon
So I went to my bookshelf
To see what was there

I looked up Tolkien
And he had a dragon
A golden dragon
A dragon that didn't much like to share

I needed a dragon
but not that kind of dragon
I needed a dragon
to fly me everywhere

So I looked up Funke
And she had a dragon,
But the very best dragons
Should give you a scare

I wanted a dragon
A fine fiery dragon
Like George's dragon
Just not 12th Century fare

I found R R Martin
And he had three dragons!
But he hadn't a soul
Not anywhere there

So I picked up his book
And it had no dragons
Just some toys:
A piglet,
A kangaroo
And a teddy bear too

I opened the page
To the market square
And hidden in there
Someone was selling me
Dragons

Now whenever I sit on a stair
There's a dragon at the bottom
And a dragon at the top

And when I'm walking
down the street
Others can watch where they
put their feet

'Cause I've been down
Past the end of the town
with my dragons

A.J. Ponder

A fun poem this week, after a bit of a silence.
Because who doesn't need dragons?

News from me - I really enjoyed the science march - although I had to try not to laugh as someone waved an anti-science fiction poster over my head, because to be fair, it was anti science fiction in policy decisions. :)

Also, I'm very excited because BlindSight, a horror story in the anthology At the Edge just made the Sir Julius Vogel Award Shortlist along with some other really awesome stories. http://www.sffanz.org.nz/sjv/sjvNominations-2017.html
Many of them are on the anthology At the Edge, and one is from Asimov's something I'm not sure has happened since Peter Friend. So good luck to Sean Monaghan, and everyone making their mark in NZ Science Fiction.

Have a great week, everybody
A.J. Ponder

The Spider Poem Roundup - with a crafty surprise -

It's been fun revisiting  some of the poems of my youth, and whoever would have thought it would prove to be as interesting as - well a spider spinning a web.  As usual the links are alphabetical - and I've also added a link to a special piece of jewellery - a piece of gorgeous poetic fantasy from an amazing designer - with a link to a blog includes step by step instructions about how to make one for yourself -

Seriously, I know I've said this before, but do all my favourite authors write spider poems?

So with no further ado here they are...


Attercop! (Flies and Spiders) by J.R.R Tolkien
"...Here am I, naughty little fly..."  A total family fav from when the kids were first exploring fantasy.

Bruce and the Spider by Bernard Barton
A spiders act of courage spurs on "Robert the Bruce" or so this poem claims. 

Crystal Web Collar Necklace Copyright 2008, Margot Potter

Crystal Web Collar Necklace 
The spider weaving the fairy necklace is like a spider poem come to life...

Invitation to the Party by A.J. Ponder
"I have nothing to bring... "


A Noiseless patient spider by Walt Whitman

The Redback on the Toilet Seat by Slim Newton
An old fav amongst the young 'uns - and there are a few other poems in amongst this little collection of spider poems - at spiderzrule.com/spider5.htm

The Spider by Emily Dickenson
A gnome pun? really? 

Spider by A.J. Ponder
"Oviously..." ;)

The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt
"Come into my parlour said the Spider to the fly..."

A Spider Sewed at Night by Emily Dickenson
I get this feeling Emily rather liked spiders...


The Spider Sewed a Silver Ball by Emily Dickenson
I think what I meant was I get this feeling Emily really...really liked spiders...

The Spider’s Web ( A Natural History) by E.B. White (Of Charlotte's Web fame)
meh - until the last line and then you are reading it over and over again....

Upon a Spider Catching a Fly by Edward Taylor (1642-1729)
There's no escaping the religous overtones of this old poem, but there's no escaping the keen observation and the fun use of language either, even if, or especially because it is quite old fashioned.

And finally in honour of the arachnophobes...

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her...
And frightened miss Muffet away.

And so with that, no more spider poems - at least not for a long while - I promise...

cheers,
A.J.

A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus and good Wellington bookstores.

P.S. If anyone finds or remembers any more spider poems they'd like me to include, comment below and I'll add them to the list above!