'TIS DRAGON TIME

'Tis dragon time, 'tis dragon time,
can you hear their ghostly rustle?
'Tis dragon time, 'tis dragon time,
can you sense the psychic muscle?

Out by the Co-op,
right outside the
automatic doors,
a whole bunch of golden rayed
creatures glistening.
Exuding some indefinable,
alluring, mystical
pantomime of mayhem.
I try to ignore them,
bustle into the
store and head straight for
the refrigerated section.
Only chicken in a bag!
I want a chicken,
but I don't want it in a bag.
They are not doing me any favours,
it's much better to bask the chicken
yourself than put your trust
in the dubious meddling
of culinary scientists

'Tis dragon time,'tis dragon time,
can you feel it in your veins?
'Tis dragon time, 'tis dragon time,
is it seeping through your brains?

On my way out,
there's more of them,
filling the road,
filling the pavement.
Then, I spy a whole other crowd
of heavenly, multi-gemmed, winged
emperors of earth and sky
hovering
in front of the 'Anglican Cathedral'.
Blimey!
How did that happen?
And where's St George when you need him?
I try to strike up a conversation
with these unwieldy beasts,
but they ignore me completely.
Can you believe it!
Damn, I forgot to buy milk,
I will have to retrace my steps.
Whole milk of course,
any other type is a
chemically manipulated aberration

'Tis dragon time,'tis dragon time,
a thing of legend just got real.
'Tis dragon time,'tis dragon time,
this really is, this definitely is, a bloody great big deal

The bloke at the till
calls me 'mate',
I feel like pointing out
I am not his 'mate'.
I am a customer,
plain and simple.
I do not come to
the Co-operative 'supermarket'
in search of friendship
nor do I expect to find it there.
Besides 'mate' is
not a term of address
native to Portsmouth

'Tis dragon time,'tis dragon time,
watch out what you think,
'Tis dragon time,'tis dragon time,
or you'll vanish in a blink

On my re-emergence
I am struck
by a bright, sparkling,
scintillating,
Aleppo crystal sensation.
An uncanny combination
of magic carpet chicanery,
and supernatural bewilderment.
Still, I hold my head up high
as I saunter down the road up to
the Number One bus stop.
There, one vast, insanely magical creature
is gazing at the plinthed globe which
commemorates the site of the hotel
where Nelson spent his last night.
The dragon turns  to me,
blocks my path,
his nostrils flare, he snorts,
a puff of acrid, sulphurous smoke
stings the air.
"You, you'd better watch out!"
he mutters gruffly
"otherwise...You'll be for it!
Do you get me?"
I look around,
I am surrounded by light
and revelation
by pure colour and intangible longing.
I can no longer stand in the way
of progress,
"Yes, I get you.
Don't worry, you
won't have any more
trouble from me,
I want to be your 'mate'"
The dragon  shuffles aside to let me pass,
but pauses a moment
for one final observation
"We're watching you, smartass"

'Tis dragon time,'tis dragon time,
there is nothing you can do.
'Tis dragon time,'tis dragon time,
the time for starting out anew!