pixabay compilation
The meadow sings with crickets and dragons, swarms of bees and seeds on white wings. You wade into the blue-eyed grass, a waterless sea of larkspur, speedwell and mountain everlasting. Breathe the fragrance of a windless day when the energies of earth, water, and sky crackle in the air.
In the cloudless currents, dragons dip and roll with the grace of swallows. Silken wings billow, dyed by a blushing sky, light as windswept sails. The waning sun glints on scales of emerald and seafoam, coral and moonstone.
You know what to do.
Present to your perceptions, shutter your eyes and breathe until the rhythm of your heart entrances. The dark and stale corners empty, willing you to release the mind and be one, indistinguishable from the world. You call the dragons down.
A breath of wind whispers across your lashes. Risk a glance. The aimless whirl of wings transforms into a weaving dance of muscle, sinew, heart and soul. Dragons ride the sky in undulating waves, a vortex swirling down to the mountain’s flowered sea.
Be still, a pillar of stone as the great dragons descend. A flurry of wings paints the air in hues of topaz, amethyst, and green tourmaline. Crescent scales shimmer like watercolor moons.
Wary, you exhale, mindful of those that huff and hum around you, sharing the air as if you’ve vanished into the breathing, living landscape. A dappled dragon rears before you. Wings of abalone sweep the sky. You do not falter, but surrender and approach.
Fingertips glide over the webbing’s hollow bones and brush pearly scales, bestirred by the softness. The long neck curves and cloud-gray eyes peer into you, a soul freed of fear. The dragon lowers a wing, the long-awaited invitation.
You open like a whisper, and in that pause between your heartbeats, at the precise point when the inhale becomes the exhale, the dragon slides beneath your skin. Light streams into your heart. Particles of life that once comprised your body merge in tender intimacy with the world, and your essence radiates beyond your flesh, blood, and bones. You are luminous, sunlight and stardust, one with the dragon’s soul.
Stepping softly, you rise over the sleek back. Wings unfold beneath you, flowing and flaring outward as the last rays of day span the wilderness. They drum the petaled sea, and as one, you ascend, chasing the sun that rolls over the horizon. You lift your face and raise your arms for you too have wings and song and soar.
The dragon spirals higher, neck craned, eyes glistening in the golden glow of twilight. Wings fanned back, you fly faster, picking up speed, letting the world pull you around, faster, the wind singing in your ears. You sweep past forests of jagged giants, crest the snow-cowled peaks, and soar over the thorny rose that rims the craggy shore. Your heart surges as you sail over the wind-worn sea, embracing the utter boundlessness of flight, the freedom of the wing, the spinning of the world hurling you forward and slinging you into myth.
That’s what it feels like to ride a dragon.
Adapted from Myths of the Mirror – Re-release in August
I enjoyed the ride D…like a whisper, beautiful, ethereal and brilliant!
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Thanks for the sweet comment, Holly ❤ I think we all have the potential to ride dragons in those moments of openess and bliss. Have a great day, my friend. 🙂
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You must have actually done this. Your words feel as though they speak of first-hand experience. Well done, Diana.
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Aw. Thank you, K’Lee, for the fine comment. Just being bowled over by the beauty of nature does it for me. My dragon resides on mountaintops. I’ll bet yours in somewhere near the sea. 🙂 Have a beautiful day.
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Ah, yes. My dragon is most definitely a sea being. Hope you enjoyed your Sunday as much as I did mine.
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Ah, to ride a dragon is on my bucket list 🙂
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Mine too. I feel a little that way when I’m out in nature on a glorious day. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the flight!
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I love everything about dragons. Your work is beautiful.
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Thanks for the visit and comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the read. I like dragons too, especially ones that turn the stereotype on its head a bit. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
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My pleasure and thank you! Have a great weekend too=) I’m a bit on and off on WordPress right now so I haven’t had the time to explore your blog properly. I’ll get to it soon though; it’s amazing!
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No pressure to backtrack unless you want to. I’m looking forward to connecting and reading more of your work 🙂
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Likewise=)
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This is so beautiful! You have such a talent with words, I enjoyed every sentence! Your descriptions were out of this world. I would really love to read more of your work! 😍👌👌 – Michelle
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Well, that’s a great comment! Thanks so much, Michelle. There are tidbits of writing all over this blog and a few books if you’re so inclined. 😀 😀 😀
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Beautiful, Diana! I want my own dragon. Always have. Love dragons, esp Toothless and Anne McCaffery’s variety. Naomi Novak also has a great take on the wonderous beasts. And can’t forget D. Wallace Peach!
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I couldn’t find an image for a majestic peaceful dragon, Julie. Most are toothsome and fire-breathing! Writing in 2nd person was a bear and took forever, so I’m pleased you liked it. 🙂 Hope you’re feeling ever better and editing up a storm!
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The artist that did the older (1980’s vintage) Anne McCaffery covers (of course, can’t remember his name) always did a wonderful job with the dragons. The newer covers just aren’t the same.
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My cover artist is working on new covers for my dragon books. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with. I told her the only “must” was that the dragons need to beings of light and spirit, beautiful, majestic, and peaceful. Then I said, “Good Luck!” 😀
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Diana, the windswept sails or wings which have shimmering jewels of greens, golds and aquamarine scales (paraphrased). I am not trying to repeat your gorgeous description but going on images placed in my mind. . . then becoming part of their breathing and heartbeats. . . lifting up and swooping like swallows lightly and smoothly, then down into the meadows of valleys.
To become One with a dragon sounds so remarkable and incredibly beautiful! Thanks for leaving me breathless, yet sad my time has passed. Hugs, Robin
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Your time has passed? Never too late to ride dragons, Robin. For me, all I have to do is find a place in nature that is so beautiful it blows my mind, and stay there in full awareness, soaking it in. Go find something that makes you feel intensely alive, my friend. That’s your dragon 🙂 ❤
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So beautiful and flowing
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Thank you, Lynn. Glad you enjoyed the adventure 🙂 Have a lovely Friday!
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🙂 you too x
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If I were in a relationship, after reading this, I’d dump him and get a dragon. 😉
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Ha ha ha ha! Too funny. Thanks for the visit and making me laugh 😀 😀
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Hey — YOU wrote it!
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What a magical journey you took me on. I’m spell bound by your flight. Thanks 🙂
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Thank you for reading, Lorraine, and glad you enjoyed the it! Hope your week is full of adventure 😀
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This is so beautifully written Diana!
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Thanks for the kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the flight 🙂
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Thanks for giving us the wonderful experience of riding the dragon Diana. Most likely it’s the closest I’ll ever come to riding one. Beautiful, vivid descriptions as always. 🙂
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Thanks for reading, Debby. 2nd person was really tough for me, so it was a good exercise. I don’t think that kind of flying is available to us yet. Maybe someday. Happy Writing, my friend. 😀
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That was so well-written. Riding a dragon–in another life, I’d love to do that.
If you’re looking for partners in your re-release, let me know. I’d love to host you.
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Oh, awesome, Jacqui. I’m so terrible at all that marketing stuff. I need an Insecure Marketer’s Support Group 😀 😀
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And thank you for stopping by to read! Glad you enjoyed the flight ❤
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Diana, wonderful vivid writing bringing all the senses to the forefront before rising to a a near spiritual crescendo with “Particles of life that once comprised your body merge in tender intimacy with the world, and your essence radiates beyond your flesh, blood, and bones. You are luminous, sunlight and stardust, one with the dragon’s soul”. So, that’s what it is like to ride a dragon!!😀
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Yup. There it is. Now you know. Ha ha. An open heart is all that’s required to ride dragons in my fantasy world (and in real life). 😀 ❤
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Now I’m smiling…lovely observation and how true. 😀
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Pure poetry. It makes my heart ache to be there in this field of blue larkspur, breathing gently the wilderness. Yes, I love that world, imagination riding into the dreamworld of suspended reality. Thank you Diana.
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Thanks for the lovely comment, Christina. I think in a lot of ways we aleady live in suspended reality – a world of our imaginations that we think is real. The step onto a dragon’s back is only a little stretch 😀 😀 Have a great day and happy writing!
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Diane, your writing enthrals me. You create worlds and wonders, feelings and images and beauty with very few words. I read slowly so that I can soar with them, enjoy them, and wish I could write such a seemingly effortless way.
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I wish I could write effortlessly too, Linda. It took me a whole day to write this post, partly because 2nd person is so tricky with all the you’s and your’s! I’m so glad you enjoyed it – that makes all the effort worthwhile. 😀
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Perfect. A great write with vivid images and the right words to ignite the mood.
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Thanks for reading and so glad you had a good flight 🙂 Happy Writing.
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Just WOW Diana! I sure felt like I was right there. In 3D almost! Breathtaking words, thank you for sharing.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the flight, Kathryn. Thanks for the great comment 🙂 Have a wonderful week, my friend.
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This really put me in the scene. I want to ride one of them thar! I love. love dragons.
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I do too, Noelle. I especially like the dragons that break the fire-breathing mold. 🙂 Thanks for reading and have a great week!
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Love the sound of all the words! Very enchanting! 🙂
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Thanks for reading, Barbara. I’m an word-junkie, as you can probably tell 🙂 Happy Writing, my friend.
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I love this part: “The dragon lowers a wing, the long-awaited invitation.
You open like a whisper, and in that pause between your heartbeats, at the precise point when the inhale becomes the exhale, the dragon slides beneath your skin. Light streams into your heart.”
Outstanding
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Thanks for the kind comment. These clearly aren’t your typical dragons. I’m glad you enjoyed the flight. 🙂 Have a great week!
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A gorgeous ride, Di. I’ve got to get me one of them. 🙂
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Thanks for reading, Steven. Wouldn’t that be cool. I used to hang-glide a tiny little bit and it really felt at times like I was a bird. Flying a dragon would be even better 🙂
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Well I raise laying hens… if you could ship me a little sample of dragon DNA, we might be in business. 🙂
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Your time and effort were well worth it. Simply beautiful and magical. Love this. I’m one with that dragon now and will not come out of myth! 🙂
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I’m so glad you enjoyed your ride, Kelly. You would definitely receive the dragon’s invitation – they like an open soul ❤ Have a lovely week, my friend. 🙂
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May have to get back in line! Was an incredible ride, indeed! 🙂
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That’s how fantasy is written! I can’t tell you, Diana, how much fantasy I’ve read that gets bogged down in endless physical description — flat and lifeless — of creatures and landscapes, but doesn’t make me feel what it’s like to be among them. And it isn’t merely that you composed the piece in second person (kudos on doing so successfully, by the way), because lines like “The aimless whirl of wings transforms into a weaving dance of muscle, sinew, heart and soul” paint a very vivid picture without directly referencing the observer. This is a really beautiful excerpt that has me excited to read the re-released novel!
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You don’t know how much your comment means to me, Sean. I’m still not entirely happy with this. My brain went numb and I ran out of time. Ha ha ha. But all is good and here it is. Thanks again and have a great week. 🙂
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Diana, this is pure poetry. I love how you draw the readers into your worlds of fantasy. You are so talented! I would like to be in a sea of larkspur 🙂
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Thanks so much for the kind comment. It was fun picking out flowers. There really is a plant called Blue-eyed Grass and Mountain Everlasting. I’m glad you enjoyed the adventure. Have a wonderful week 🙂
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So welcome. There must be many plants out there with cool and unusual names. You have a great week also!
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Beautifully descriptive. Poetic.
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Thanks for reading, Frank 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the adventure. Have a great week.
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Still practicing the breathing bit on mine 😃
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Hmm. You can ride them without the merging bit, but you’re more likely to fall off. 🙂
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Lol… I’ll bear that in mind. 😀
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What I love about your fantastic prose is the poetic rhythm, the alliteration so leisurely thrown in and moving ahead producing a captivating effect…one has to get back to the beginning of the sentence to enjoy the beauty just like we keep looking at the waves, which mesmerise. Diana, you are too good at words and their imaginative appeal. Loved reading this and am going to read again. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Thanks so much for reading, Balroop. I love words, everything about them – the meaning, sound, rhythm, the way they feel on the tongue. I’m glad that comes across. ❤
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I’m not surprised this took so long to re-write – there’s such intimate, sensuous poetry weaved throughout. Beautiful! ❤
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Thanks, Al. I think it took me about 8 hours!!! I’m never writing 2nd person again, ever. All the “you” and “your” drove me nuts. I’m glad it came out well. 😀
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It’s another tool in the toolbox, should you need it… and hopefully you won’t 🙂
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Every sentence so beautifully crafted! :O
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Thank you for the kind comment, Maria. I’d be up for riding a dragon any day 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
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Your post also reminded me of scenes form the animated movie..How to train your dragon :’)
You have a great week too. Stay blessed 🙂
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I haven’t seen the movie – now I have to! I tried to leave a comment on your recent post, Maria, and WP wouldn’t let me. Just wanted to thank you for your important message ❤
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Thanks a lot for reading my post 🙂
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Exquisite D. Beautiful words flowing in flight. Bravo!
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Thank you. I’ve never written in 2nd person before, so it was a hard one to do! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀 Have a wonderful week!
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I am going to reread this before I sleep tonight to encourage this dream.
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Thanks, Bernadette. I liked turning the dragon image on its head. Hard to find images of peaceful majestic dragons, though! Happy dreams 🙂
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Thats very beautiful.
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Oh, I’m so glad. Writing in 2nd person was a bear and a half! This took me for-ev-er. Thanks for the kind comment 🙂
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