The Land of
Forgotten Beasts
(The Gryphon's Song)
Oh! the world is filled with sadness and delight.
There are fish that fly and birds that walk on land,
There are swans that sing and insects that do dances,
So why we're off I'll never understand.
We're courteous, unusual, and charming,
We're thoughtful and amazingly sincere.
We only need a little admiration
To fill our lives with happiness and cheer.
I'll admit we're rather odd to look at,
Our heads and tails are sometimes out of place,
Occasionally we breathe a little fire,
But that should be no reason for disgrace.
The Cockatrice, for instance, is quite useful,
Though small, he has a mortifying glance.
If a mountain's in your way he'll make it crumble,
His life is filled with danger and romance.
The Unicorn, by contrast, is so gentle
His horn can sweeten clouded pools and springs.
He lives on flowers and cannot be captured
By errant knights, or emperors or kings.
The Manticore is equally appealing,
He jumps about and has a prickly tail.
Three rows of teeth and two superb mustaches,
You'll find him leaping over hill and dale.
Our country is incredibly exciting,
You'd never see a Mushrush back at home,
You couldn't grow a Goose Tree in Chicago,
You'd never find a Hippocamp in Rome.
Where else do serpents have two heads, or seven?
Where else are Centaurs quite so fancy-free?
Would you ever find a Griffin in your garden?
Do your Bishops ever frolick in the sea?
Your zoos are filled with simple things like Tigers,
Menageries like ours are more unique.
We have Ant-Lions, Phoenixes, and Dragons,
Our Mermaids are mysterious and chic.
We'll show you flying horses from the heavens,
We'll give you rides on monsters from the sea,
We'll take your hand and walk with you through fables,
Through legends filled with charm and poetry.
Though quite unreal, we're still the best beasts ever,
The fact that we're forgotten makes us weep.
The world that dreamed us cares for us no longer,
Its eyes are dim, its visions are asleep.
But some day Unicorns will be remembered,
And Griffins will again be brave and strong,
A Phoenix will be seen on the horizon,
And all forgotten creatures shall belong.
By Barbara Wersba, from her book, The Land of Forgotten Beasts
|
|