Once upon a time
There was a young girl
She walked with dragons
And fairies and elves
She played in the woods
And knew the truth
And touched the magic
She was pure love and magic
The villagers however
Grew afraid
Who was this little girl
Her powers shining so bright?
No no this won’t do at all
She can’t be so bright
It will dim our light
We must all be the same
No one too bright
This might hurt a little
they told her
But you’ll get used to it
After a while
You won’t even
Remember they are there!
And then you’ll be like us
Safe contained the same
It’ll be better that way
You’ll see
And then they put on the chains
The pain was so blinding
So disconcerting
The little girl
Completey blacked out
And then she forgot
That she had chains at all
She also forgot her magic
Her light
Now she was
Just like everyone else
The little girl grew up
And she’s been been walking
Walking through life
Each step heavy
So heavy
Her limbs
Weighted down
By iron chains
Fear
Scarcity
Abandonment
Indecisiveness
Defensiveness
Anger
Hate
Deceipt
Ignorance
Selfishness
Shame
Guilt
They tug
At her limbs
Cut into her flesh
And draw blood
Leaving gaping wounds
In their wake
As she hobbles
And limps
Feverish
Trying to step forward
While being dragged back
One day
Her old friends
The dragons and fairies
And elves
The creatures of the woods
The trees and the sun and the moon
They came to her
Excited
They’d finally found
The keys
To open the chains
They joyfully
Brought them to her
But the girl didn’t see them
Didn’t see the keys
Didn’t know
She wore chains
She just thought
Pain and suffering
Gaping wounds
Shame
And fear
All those heavy
Weights
She thought they
Were her
Dejected
All the creatures
Went back to the forest
All except one
A little dragon
Smaller and weaker
Than the rest
No bigger than the size
Of your hand
Often teased
This dragon
Had loved the little girl
Most of all
Because the little girl
Had been kind to her
Had seen her as magical and amazing
Not small and weak
So the little dragon
Decided
I won’t give up
And she stuck by the girl
Even though the girl
Didn’t notice her
The dragon stayed
Anyway
And what’s more
With all her little dragon
Strength
She helped to
Push and pull
The chains
The girl was dragging
And as for the girl
Well suddenly
She had glimpses
A momentary awareness
Of what it felt like
To have her heavy burden
Lifted
Shared
Even just a little
She could feel
Beneath
The heavy chains
A flickering light
Faint, rusty
But somehow still bright
Coming from
Deep within her
In her core
Was that called?
Her heart?
In that moment
The little dragon
Spread its tiny wings
And hopped directly
Onto the girls
Chest
Clinging there
In an awkward dragon hug
And the dragon gave the girl
All the love the girl had given her
Like a mirror reflecting the sun
And as the light and love
From the little dragon
Poured into the girl
The girls light seed
Pulsed stronger
And stronger
Until that seed
Of love
Compassion
Light
Kindness
Ease
Peace
Courage
Flow
Joy
Magic
Expanded
And expanded
Until it exploded
Into a forest
Of stars
Into a meadow
Of trees
Into an ocean
Of flowers
Embracing
Dissolving
Integrating
Healing
The chains
Until
They went back
Into the earth
Recycled
Nutrients
For growth
And the little dragon
Well
She grew
And she grew
And she lifted the girl
On her back
And together
They soared
Wild and free
Spreading love seeds
In brilliant rainbows of light
To all whose path they crossed
Recycling more chains
Bravely venturing out
Knowing no chains
Could ever keep them small
Again