Saving Grace

Saving Grace

Fabled Atlantis, long known as a jewel of the sea,
now exists more as legend than in history.
There, civilization was well on its way
to enlightenment, heralding a new day.

Yet, this was still the world, a place in the past,
and people were segregated by their caste.
In the surrounding mountains lived a shepherd lass
who cared for her flock near a high rugged pass.

She possessed a gift that, language like, she shared:
an innate empathy. All the creatures knew she cared.
Her gentleness was evident; it shown in her face
for early on those who knew had called her Grace.

One day she chanced upon a nest of wyvern eggs,
a brood of amphithere; dragons without legs.
She'd seen their iridescent gleam soaring in the sky
with feathered wings and tails. She'd heard their bird-like cry.

Long was her admiration, though it was only from afar.
To her they held a beauty their demeanor could not mar.
The weather had grown colder from an approaching storm.
She covered them with her cloak; they'd be safe and warm.

She left them undisturbed and gathered up her herd,
returning to the meadows before the gales occurred.
The mother dragon, storm delayed, trumpeted alarm;
her instinct was to protect, keep her children from all harm.

Returning to the keep, she smelled the human scent.
The eggs were safe, protected, though the storm was spent.
Dragons are intelligent. She understood her debt.
This human that had saved her chicks was friend and not a threat.

Grace was fascinated, so quite often she'd drop by
and watched them in their nest; she'd sing a lullaby
on nights when they were left alone and soon a closeness grew.
She loved to watch them dip and soar as overhead they flew.

She found her gift a two-way street, for she could understand.
The dragons became part of her, something that wasn't planned.
She'd lay in the meadow lands and, closing her eyes,
feel the wind that filled their wings, join in their joyous cries.

Living a life far distanced away, Grace was unaware
that Atlantis itself was in jeopardy from leaders who didn't care.
They pushed technology further ahead, relying on science and luck.
The time was near when they'd lose control and it would run amuck.

The sky turned black on the final day. The earth screamed in its pain.
The ground shook with such violence and the clouds filled with acid rain.
Grace understood that this was the end and sent out a final thought:
Flee, my friends, as fast as you can. Delay and you will be caught.

The mother dragon, above the clouds, had carried her debt for years.
She knew it was time for repayment and, overcoming her fears,
dove through the turmoil, found the girl, and placed her on her back
before the final moments as the earth began to crack.

She fought her way, struggling with the load, until she reached clear sky.
She gathered her brood and headed west. The dragons would not die.
The legends say Atlantis sank – their wisdom came too late.
What happened to the dragons, though, is still open to debate.

Stone carvings found in the jungles of the Yucatan
tell of a fair skinned maiden not of the Mayan clan.
She lived up in the mountains where they said dragons roam,
in a place called "Casa Nuevo" which translates as "New Home."

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