stonepicnicking_okapi: okapi (The Blank Page)
[personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi
Title: The Ballad of Temeraire
Fandom: Temeraire [book 1, His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik]
Poetic Form: Ballad
Rating: Gen
Word Count: 298
Prompt: 100 Fandoms Challenge 031. courage


A dragon’s egg, a spoil of war.
Ship’s crew draw lots and wait.
The hatchling chooses for the Corps.
A captain names his fate.

A virgin flight, a rescue brave,
a first kind word bestowed.
The sea gives up its fruits to stave
a hungry dragon’s goad.

On land, stern reckonings await
as rules are brought to bear.
But final say of handler-mate
belongs to Temeraire.

A day to bid farewell to old
and break unspoken vows
Then off to join the new life’s fold
of battle-ready boughs.

A settling in for man and beast
by training field and loch.
Some close-held notions rise like yeast,
some sink like cast-off rocks.

A dragon who’s not like the rest,
a handler much the same.
A bright, new pearl when laid abreast
turns savage doubts to tame.

Another rescue, bravely done,
a dragon’s mettle shown.
A first mate chosen, new start won,
an aviator grown.

A book of tales arrives by post
to while away the nights,
and Temeraire begins to boast
a ruff of tendrils tight.

The camp accepts a refugee,
a pair fast fleeing strife.
And Laurence gawps at just how free
is fairer flyer’s life.

A dragon hatched at sea returns
to fish and briny air.
Aboard rife speculation burns
of war: the when and where.

A trust betrayed, a traitor hanged,
a dragon exiled far.
At last, the battle threat is fanged.
The Corps is set to spar!

The dragons’ courage proudly gleams
like sunlight upon air.
And victory’s won by flying teams,
above all, Temeraire.

As victors celebrate, a guest
has news for Temeraire:
divine wind in a dragon’s chest
is mark of Celestial rare.

A dragon rests, a happy heap,
in perfect company;
a tired once-captain falls asleep
to a heartbeat like the sea.

Date: 2019-07-03 07:50 am (UTC)
smallhobbit: (dragon)
From: [personal profile] smallhobbit
This is absolutely lovely. I enjoyed the progress as Temeraire and Lawrence grow into their new life, and the final verse is perfect - just how I like to think of them.

Date: 2019-07-03 03:51 pm (UTC)
smallhobbit: (dragon)
From: [personal profile] smallhobbit
Yes, Lawrence was one of the attractions, plus having a dragon of course.

Date: 2019-07-03 07:53 am (UTC)
ilthit: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ilthit
*applauds*

This made me realize how little I remember of the series. Should put that on the re-read list.

I'm very impressed that you manage poetry so often, let alone rhymed poetry. :D

Date: 2019-07-04 06:57 am (UTC)
ilthit: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ilthit
Well, you make lovely poetry! I've written some in my time but it's really a once in a blue moon thing. I'm still proud of the English poem I wrote for school that impressed my English teacher so much she sought me out after class to tell me how good it was. XD

I've been subscribing to DailyPoetry for a while now, it's almost all free verse, but some of it is very good.

Date: 2019-07-03 02:40 pm (UTC)
debriswoman: (Default)
From: [personal profile] debriswoman
This moves along really well, some apt and lovely phrases.

Profile

stonepicnicking_okapi: okapi (Default)
stonepicnicking_okapi

June 2025

S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 67
8 9 10 11121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930     

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

  • Style: Caturday - Orange Tabby for Heads Up by momijizuakmori

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jun. 12th, 2025 04:41 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios