Silent are the makers Lost to their heavens Sought in paper bindings Prophet voices Give few choices You are one or Other Seeking paths another forged for you Challenge their sayings Draft maps uncharted Dream of roads winding Author spaces Craft new places You are life beyond limits Of a mind confined to roles assumed. Being of valence Child of questions Doubt not your findings For when time folds And no truth holds You are sovereign of nothing But the world within your eyes

I am ten and I'm eyeing the front of a book Soon the newest one in my collection There's a woman, arms wide, who is proudly astride a magnificent gold colored dragon Well the pages fly by in a blur of suspense As young Lessa beats all odds to save Pern From a girl once afraid A Weyrwoman is made And someday I'd do great things in turn. I am fifteen and awkward, as young teens can be Doubtful of my own form and complexion My one comfort is singing For when my voice is ringing My mood turns a better direction. Then I read Killashandra: operatically trained But whose flaws keep her from her first career Yet with song and sharp mind She is able to find Both crystals and purpose both vital and clear Through the darkest of nights and the brightest of days Your wonderful stories have been there for me How I wish that I'd once had a brief chance to say My thanks to the marvelous Dragonlady. Twenty-two and I'm aching, I've just learned the pain Of the end of love's powerful connection. I'm alone and I'm scared, I feel so unprepared, So return to my books for protection. It's the Rowan I seek, who knows solitude well Yet defies loneliness with her power. Through her eyes I find strength In my work and at length I can heal in my own form of Tower. Twenty-five and I'm trying to choose my own path Dreams my right hand, my fears in the left one. Will I do what they say? Can I go my own way? And dance to the beat of my own Dragondrums. Robinton grants the answer, my hero for years, Helping all with his music and counseling As a Harper I'll play Seeking Robinton's way With my songs and my spirit resounding. Through the darkest of nights and the brightest of days Your wonderful stories have been there for me How I wish that I'd once had a brief chance to say My thanks to the marvelous Dragonlady. (x2)

Mortal child I have followed before Watching your spirit through the ages Forged from Your head The thoughts unsaid the tears and blood unshed Hear me now through the thundering roar of your mind lost in fear and rages Follow my voice recall your choice but do not try to remember. Who I am Within you Deja vu Who am I? I am... The one that follows where none else will Familiar granted life from all you feel. The wings you felt behind your shoulders. The beast who guarded within your dreams. I cannot fade though you grow older. But never is all what it seems. The child believed The mind conceived Your guardian Who will never leave Who am I? Same as you Nothing, dear. The world is never so clear. But I will follow where none else will. Familiar granted life from all you feel. I am the entity you make me to be. Will my form show a life well lived and free? We shall see.

Take me to the river Lead me to the shore Grandmother, grant me all The sacred songs of yore Take me to the river Lead me down below Heqat, ancient one, I follow where you go Hotep, musician in Hermopolis! Turn your eight faces skywards as a choir Sing to life all we children of the Potter’s wheel Hearts in time with the murmur of the Nile Gather at the river Bringing songs to share Tight throats shall breathe again As voices fill the air Gather at the river Bringing fears to tame Mistress of Joy we Create love in your name Hotep, musician in Hermopolis! Turn your eight faces skywards as a choir Sing to life all we children of the Potter’s wheel Hearts in time with the murmur of the Nile Splendid One, Lady of Life, Mother, Guardian and Midwife Hail the Mistress of the flood Guide my voice to do your good Take me to the river Lead me to the shore Grandmother, grant me all The sacred songs of yore Take me to the river Lead me down below Heqat, ancient one, I follow where you go

Come seeking me beyond the desert You maelstrom on the greatest sea Becoming wild you travel westward The wind and waves bring you to me Rise up beyond the quiet coastline And raging forth your power to show The peaks of Appalachia call you The storm takes flight and turns to snow Rest with me oh strongest warrior Who you have trained and kept from harm Respectful of your form of thunder Yet loves the lord who brings snow's storm Your lady is the quiet of winter When all the snow is calm and still You come before her bringing beauty You dance with blades amidst the chill Your nephew is the sun on snowfall That shining down turns all to light A winter storm is your fierce challenge To make his victory appear more bright Rest with me oh strongest warrior Who you have trained and kept from harm Respectful of your form of thunder Yet loves the lord who brings snow's storm Lord of the Northern Skies I see you Transformed in places round earth's sphere I hear you in the wind of blizzards The voice that's greater than any fear Rest with me oh strongest warrior Who you have trained and kept from harm Respectful of your form of thunder Yet loves the lord who brings snow's storm

Phone blaring, get your ass up, no time for lazy dreaming Stumble to coffee; find your tie. Car keys are in your hand though you’re not sure how they got there. Floor it, you’ve got a meeting at nine. And while your smart car’s speeding down the left hand lane The route engrained, don’t bother looking You start to wish for something just a bit insane If just to dodge the boss’s booking. Turn left into the lot and wheel towards your usual spot To find a van parked in your space Stare blankly, what the hell, this wasn’t what you had in mind when You asked Fate for a change in pace. But then within your mind you recall a master plan With a young prince kidnapped, tied and bound. And a dragon on its way to carry off the van To a distant land where he’ll never be found What to do? You could - smash in the windows And save, the prince Parking lot quest! Of course, the cops probably Won’t want to hear Of dragons and the rest. …Screw ‘em.

Floating in line with tentacles raised I am one of many going to fight! Proud to help win my kind a new place Determined to defeat the cannon tonight! Long has this evil blasted away Families of Invaders hoping to land It hides like a coward, and won’t join the fray Tonight we’re going to make our stand! Quickly now my brave Space kin Even though the first line has fallen Just think of all the wee squidlings Who need us to win. Keep descending, it’s so close can you See it there behind the barrier Let's make them fear the Invaders Who won’t be destroyed again! Suddenly I am staring it down. Just me and the cannon, one on one! I cast forth a bolt as it tries to fire, Only one remains, the battle is won! Game over.

Come all and hear of young Tuiren The beauty of the clan Fionn Whose hair was dark as clearest night With eyes that sparkled like the dawn Heed well the words that speak of she This maid who fell for one untrue And for her folly faced a trial Scarce dreamed by mortals of this earth Young Tuiren loved a poet fair Whose verse had swept her off her feet She pledged her heart unto Ullan "Your equal I shall never meet." Maid Tuiren was kin of the king And Ullan boldly asked her hand Which fierce king Fionn was glad to give Believing him an honest man Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt and sing of running free As hound or maid, it matters not Trust in the heart that carries thee Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt while singing to the sky As hound or maid, it matters not So long as to thy love you fly Within the year the word spread far of news that brought the clan great joy That fair Tuiren and her Ulann Would give birth to a baby boy But one fierce lady of the Sidhe Who long had known the fair Ulann Burned wild with rage to hear her love Had ta'en a wife of mortal stand Garbed as a royal messenger The Bhean sidhe called upon Tuiren "Your husband needs you at his side Oh lady, we must go at once." Tuiren ran swift to help her love But once beyond the castle's bounds The jealous faery cast a spell And changed her form into a hound Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt and sing of running free As hound or maid, it matters not Trust in the heart that carries thee Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt while singing to the sky As hound or maid, it matters not So long as to thy love you fly The faery led her, great with child, a rope placed round her dark, furred head To the home of Fergus Fionnlath Who beat all hounds and wished them dead Yet Tuiren met his gaze and showed The depths of pain she held within And Fergus, moved by this display Swore ne'er to strike a hound again In time Tuiren gave birth to twins The young boys born as puppies wild At Fergus' side they ran the woods As loved as any human child And Tuiren true to her kind heart Brought joy to Fergus hence unknown He could not bear from her to part And loved her as one of his own Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt and sing of running free As hound or maid, it matters not Trust in the heart that carries thee Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt while singing to the sky As hound or maid, it matters not So long as to thy love you fly Yet Ulann learned of the faery’s trick And begged her, "I must have my wife!" "You'll want her not, oh foolish man, Unless a hound you'll wed for life." "Oh change her back, my lover fair. Or else the king my life will take" The faery smiled, "Of course my love, But first a promise you must make." "All those I've changed within my power Shall have the body of their birth But only if you swear that I Am your sole lover on this earth." Ulann who wished to save his skin Agreed with with haste to the faery's plan The faery smiled, "It is done." And the poet returned to his clan. Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt and sing of running free As hound or maid, it matters not Trust in the heart that carries thee Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt while singing to the sky As hound or maid, it matters not So long as to thy love you fly Ulann returned to find Tuiren Human arms circled round her sons Who stayed as hounds, as they were born, The faery yet had won She raised her head to see Ulann The eyes once kind now full of hate "Begone from me, you wicked fool I still bear hunter in my frame." Ulann fled back to faery land He saw the beast within the maid Then Tuiren turned to Fergus gaze Her eyes now soft but unafraid "I cannot stay here Fergus, love I live as neither girl nor hound.” And so she left sons at her side To hunt the love of freedom found Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt and sing of running free As hound or maid, it matters not Trust in the heart that carries thee Chase thy dreams on nimble feet Give hunt while singing to the sky As hound or maid, it matters not So long as to thy love you fly