The Dragon Book

                                                                                                           
This book was AWESOME!!! In case you don't know me, I go on 'kicks' shall we say? I like dragons immensely right now. Partially because the amazing movie How to Train Your Dragon but also because I just like dragons.
So I bought this book.
And it is GREAT.
The book is a collection of short stories-- perfect for thirty minutes before bed, reading over a cup of tea, or one between classes on Tuesday/Thursday with music classes throwing your schedule off-kilter. 
First, I saw some of my old favorite authors, new favorite authors, and  writers I am just coming to recognize. Then there are nineteen stories with dragons and dragon mythology from all over the world. 
Tamora Pierce continues the Daine saga with a story about Sky Song. Gregory Macguire's offering is surprisingly kid-friendly and tame while Jonathan Stroud provides a creepy dragon-mystery. Jane Yolan explores the introduction of dragons to the Russian Revolution.  Meanwhile Garth Nix, Diana Wynne Jones, Bruce Coville, and a host of new talent are also featured on the bill.


I was starting to get bored with the find-a-baby-dragon, tame-a-baby-dragon, get-to-know-the-dragon routine that most books follow. Other either feature dragons as creatures with human wisdom and comprehension or dragons who are hurt-- people never interact with them just as healthy, capable animals unless the humans are trying to kill them. This book blew all the preconceptions out of the water. A wily dragon waited to be freed from a puzzle. A boy discovers that he can turn into a dragon. A girl misses being a dragon. A baby dragon saves the life of a vulnerable human.

The writing is tight, the stories are fluid, and the arrangement even sings. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in dragons. Or just interested in reading.

M is for Magic

I just finished reading "M is for Magic," a collection of stories by Neil Gaiman. While fascinating and imaginative, they were a little on the creepy side, even for my fantastical senses. The book was marketed at children's fiction but I really think this belongs in the teen or adult fiction section. Just because the book has children as most of the maid characters does not make it suitable. I would not give this to anyone under 13. Still, Gaiman is a master of his craft and the book was a really intersting read.

Three Stars out of Five

Dragons

Dragons

Doesn't the word just make you shiver?

I looove dragons-- books, comics, drawings, and now movies.

Specifically, How to Train Your Dragon, the newest DreamWorks movie-- This is better than any other DreamWorks movie I have ever seen! It beats Shrek, Over the Hedge, Madagascar, etc.
I honestly almost cried in the middle. And at the end.
And now I really really want a dragon.

My poor boyfriend has been informed that I am leaving him for Hiccough the Horrible, So he may be trying to find a dragon this weekend.

I was amazed at how much I really really wanted to live in that village and ride a dragon-- it's an animated movie! These powerful, intelligent, glorious creatures were so enthralling, even though they were animated lizards (Thanks for nothing, you useless reptile... ). The story was wonderful, the script and dialog perfection, and the voice talent spot-on. Add that to beautiful 3-D animation (I don't much care for 3-D but I forgot it wasn't a regular movie) with water drops, licks of fire, and perfect wind effects.... wow. And the music near to broke my heart-- it was beautiful.
I was sad the movie was over.
I seriously have a crush on Hiccough.
Great Movie, go see.

Last Poem

Ok, so this one is different-- a sort of mock epic, whirlwind rhyming style.
Dr. Seausicalish

When Sara sings the world is shook
Divas stop and Baritones look
to see who makes such gracious sounds
so far beyond their measly rounds
Sara sings rarely now, her powers to move beyond
her control sing that fateful day
When fate Ordained
What Sara would sing.
If began as a lilting bit, sung as she walked to the fair
she loved the way the birds joined in
and a breeze tousled her hair
A Patron of the arts, so smart
and dashing was he, heard her singing and grabbed her arm and towed her
to the jubilee
A bit confused, the lass followed, still humming that sweet little tune
and soon enough what had been a cloudy day could now belong to June
He took her to the stage, told the Soprano to Step Aside
all eyes where on the Patron, all eyes opened Wide
He shoved her forward into the light
"Your voice is heaven,my dear.
Now sing for the entire world,
this is a joy that All should hear."
Sara gave a nervous smile--what's a peasant girl to do
When forced to perform like so?
She opened her mouth and complied, singing a little tune
No words had she, never had a single syllable form from her tongue
Only Melody but that is enough
The Crowd grew silent, the Orchestra stopped
Even the Soprano shut her mouth
The breeze stilled, the people stood, and birds slowly gathered round
as the notes reached a soaring height and then all teh songs birds joined
as before the peoples' very eyes, a glorious scene was formed
The audience gasped as one, when a castle Swam into view
set in a landscape of Cliffs and Waterfalls, a fallow deer or two
and a dizzying array of notes fell from our dear girls tongue
while small frogs joined the chorus, pipping and rum-tum-tum
A cricked added her contribution as well-water obligingly trickles
A brook moved closer to join the symphony as the branches picked up a rattle
The wind was eager to join the World that Sara so obligingly sang
and she began to dance and twirl around the girl and o'er again
The waters moved in closer, most the fair was wet
The creatures moved up higher, their part was not done yet
Dear Sara, her eyes still shut, let the music move on through
as the wind began a spirited gavotte that took hats and umbrellas too
The wind began to whip and whirl
and still Sara sang as a storm began to grow as the notes turned deeper in
The waters roes, the wind did howl, clouds rolled up from Calais
Still Sara sang her song on that fateful day
The spell-bound audience was awakened
by a torrent of rain
splashing merely, its own little tune
soon would turn more grim
The people ran for cover, then moved to higher ground
as they watched Sara's song taking o'er the town
For fateful hours it seemed they stood
until on poor lad asked
"What of the Singing Girl?
Is she still in the mess?"
The people gasped as they realized--
they still heard her Voice
Sara still sang below
While all of Nature had joined the chorus
A brave lad said "I'll rescue her!"
His mother said "Shut up!"
They all looked to the Patron
Who had forced the singer up
on them. "A witch!" he exclaimed with some regret
"She should be fine-- just a little wet."
"She's no witch! She has a gift, a song all want to hear!
And it seems till now she hid is well, singing far from ears!"
The people were in confusion-- should they let the singer drown?
Or risk any one their own in the slowly sinking town?
Just as sudden, the storm stopped and one pure sound held through
A delicate, simply melody cut the silence in two
as the clouds rolled our and the waters moved
back to their rightful places
The birds settled down on the now silent trees
amazement bright on the peoples faces
They crept down to the ruined fair
to see if the maiden still stood
And there she was, hardly mussed hair
thinking "Did I sing good?"
She had not seen the clouds
The winds barely kissed her
So deep had Sara gone
lost in eternal bliss
of heaven's true song
They stared and started and nervously hummed
as she slowly oped her eyes
to see all the destruction
"What happened!" she longed to cry
A kindly matron took the maid
gently off the stage
off behind a toppled tent
and quietly explained
Sara understaood
she knew the power in a song
She promised, best she could
to keep quiet from now on
The lady sighed with relief
told the girl no to worry
that she was free to go, this wasn't her fault
but that Sara might want to hurry
Sara nodded, opened her mouth, then shut it at the matron's gasp
Instead of singing for her horse, Sara merely gestured to ask
The horse was brought and Sara rode
fourth from the jubilee
The people sighed and went to work
cleaning the debris
The Patron was duely embarrassed
he paid much for his impulsive act
And Sara still came occasionally to town
wearing a broad and hiding hat
She still sings for the woods
the birds do love her sound
But Sara never sings where human ears abound
She has a gift, a story
that no words could e'er express
And so when Sara sings
only she knows the Rest.

More Poems

Poem 4: The Sea

I am the Sea

                  Crashing, waving, whispering a song

                  Dancing through dream

                 And screaming through night mares

                 I can be good and gentle and lovely

                 But I am not, nor shall ever be, tame…

                 I can give—but I shall take as well

I am passion

                Those who know me have passions that are deeper than my depths

                No other can take my place

                Nothing else has as much as I

I am quiet

              Contemplative moonlit nights

              Girls who long to  know the mermaids' songs

              And dreamers in the dusk

But I am Alive

             Moving, ebbing, swaying, flowing

            Carrying, holding, fish,

            whales, seals, sharks,

            plankton, salt, and then some

           Life

               Here

                     Is

                       FULL

Poem 5: A Thought

A thought, a twist, a turn, a catch

--this must be some delusion!

I though I was done

With this particular thought.

Only a thought.

Not a Crush

Or a Dream

Or a fancy even

But it refuses to leave!

Should I look away?

Try to squash it

like a bug?

Ignore it for all I am worth!

A snare, a trap, a trip-wire

--Growing not better but worse with time!

Cautiously creeping toward contact..

a letter!

a note...

No!

Can I trust?

my heart and mind and self not to be a child?

To drop the pen, turn out the light

And leave what is alone.

And slumber.

Not to dream.

But to Sleep.

Poem 6: I Set out Writing a Sonnet

I decided to write you a Sonnet,

With its perfect pentameter rhyming.

A Sentiment with your name upon it,

In a fashion so very beguiling.

But pentameter is harder to write

And fourteen lines are not really enough.

Ans so I turned to a different light

To express all these sentiments and stuff...

So I set out to write for you a song

But the tune was all wrong

And before long

The desire was simply gone.

"Maybe an epic!" I thought.

"With nymphs and dragons and elves and the lot!"

But the dragons couldn't come

And the nymphs were from home

And with no dragons, can you expect elves?

So all I have is this note

(can we call it a letter)

And the knowledge that nothing so rote

quite expresses my feelings, together

So I hope you can forgive this silly expression

Of all my admiration.

For you.

And your smile.

Disney re-Mixed (but in a good way)

check out this video-- I love it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVxe5NIABsI

Piano Passion

As I sit here, I am waiting for class to start and listening to this really talented guy play just about everything on the piano. I have heard Linkin Park, Pirates of the Carribean, and Fur Elise in the past ten minutes. I occurs to me that the most soothing, most inspiring, most soul stirring sound I know is that of a piano.
Imagine, you type furiously as the music swells and the poetry simply flows from your heart.
You are alone in a giant ballroom (I would have on a huge swirling gown) and dancing, moving just as the music pulls and feeling it deep in your soul.
You are running, alone, in a field with stars above and soft grass below.
You are completely and utterly free.

There is so much that music can do, and for me, live piano is the most inspiring.
Piano tracks are ok, and I loooove live orchestra (but rarely get to hear that anymore) but just listening to one of these wonder, plays-by-ear people playing, whatever they feel like, going where the music takes them and bringing me along-- this is bliss.

find your bliss.