Poem: "Dealing with Dragons"

This poem came out of the March 1, 2011 Poetry Fishbowl.  It was inspired by an image prompt of Luke from Addergoole courtesy of aldersprig.  It has been sponsored by moonwolf1988.

This is the thing about dragons,
the thing you must never forget:

They are always dragons.

They were dragons when the world was made.
They will be dragons when the world ends.
They are dragons forever.

It does not matter how they change their shape.
Their wings wait within them even when hidden.
Their fire is only banked and never extinguished.

Look at him,
walking down the street,
seeming so innocent.

He is not and never was innocent.
It is not his nature.
His nature is a thing of wind and flame.

Even when he is not wearing his wings,
he can read the wind with his forearms and his fingertips.
Even when he is not breathing his fire,
he can boil beer in his stomach, or even gold.

So if he tells you that a storm is coming,
open your umbrella,
and if his breath steams in the summer air,

run.