Metamorphosis

METAMORPHOSIS
Winner of Writer's Cramp, 2021/07/05 "Winner and New Prompt due July 6"  

Little wormy gutter wretch,
The time has come to take your place.
Unfold your wings and let them stretch
Towards that state of future grace
Of elegance aroused, and fetch
Your ardent pride of dragon race.

Exchange that skin of pallid brown
For armored scales articulate
Of brilliant crimson all unbound--
A golden rim to every plate,
A sliver streak on every round,
A dragon hide made all ornate.

No more the caterpillar mewl
But now a dragon's mighty roar!
Each eye a bold segmented jewel
To scan as o'er the earth you soar
And sear with flames so hot and cruel
Your enemies who flee before.

Come, dragons all, to celebrate--
This is a most auspicious day!
Be gone, weak worm -- come, dragon great!
Leave your cocoon, come out to play,
To soar, to roar, to groom, to mate
On this, your hatching holiday.