The Dragon Down the Hall (sans the satirical self-critique)

[ChristopherSea]

Half a stone’s throw down a narrow hall
and across the room at the other end
is a door to a place, a lair I’m sure
where a dragon lays his head.

It is definitely some sort of mystical monster,
a shape-shifter that simply doesn’t reveal
an appearance consistent with its terrifying nature
yet I assure you the dragon is real.

Tales of dragons in legends describe
nostrils blasting fire with each angry breath
villages and all their inhabitants
scorched ‘till there’s nothing left.

But the dragon that lurks down the hall in my life
has never expressed a visible flame,
yet I shudder at times when in the dragon’s eyes
I see the inferno rage. ( I feel the eternal blame )

And though it never leaves physical evidence
of razor sharp claws that adorn its feet,
my heart has been slashed when its eyes flash fire
cuts both long and deep.

Yes, I tremble at the visage of a mortal man
for I know certainly it is just a disguise
and in its presence I have learned how I must behave
to quell the fire that rages in its eyes.

The dragon compels me to face that which I fear
squared up, without detectable fret.
It expects my voice to be strong and steady
my eyes narrowed and never wet.

It insists I ask questions that need to be asked
and risk a response I wouldn’t like;
I can sense it is always evaluating my inclination
to stand my ground or run from a fight.

I was once miserable knowing what the dragon expects
and too fearful not to do what it wants
I longed to be free of the dragon’s domain
to turn from scary things and run.

It is a great burden to know what I know
and keep silent for fear of being called a fool,
because I am certain were I to disclose my secret
I would be subject to much ridicule.

You see the dragon doesn’t disclose his nature
to others in my world,
as a matter of fact he only appears
if I act like a scared little girl.

Life would be so much more pleasant and comfortable
were I permitted to live confrontation free,
to avoid anything that makes me feel awkward or intimidated,
to just be as I would like to be.

But the dragon, the bane of my existence,
watches with jaundiced eye
and insures I am more scared of its wretched wrath
then circumstances that would make me cry.

So I do what I must and act with courage,
sometimes courage I didn’t know I had.
I do it because the dragon is always present
masquerading as a mortal man.

You might think I pray for a prince to arrive
to face the dragon and take his head,
but that really wouldn’t work out so well
my dad loves me and I don’t want him dead.

I did like the whole premise, tens of the rhymes were 'off' though, I added a blame to rhyme with flame but resisted doing more.

I think you kinda lost the way in the middle there and the last verse seemed a bit incomprehensible but that might just be me.

Best thing I've read from you so far fim. (imho)

Thanks Scurryfunger.
Is it possible there are different "graduations" of rhyme? I am not inclined to forgo substance, continuity, or flow (although I will, on occasion, forgo a little meter integrity) to attempt to achieve perfect rhyme schemes. I guess what I am saying is that I have no problem living with, for instance, "had" and "man" in stanza 14. Separated by two lines I think there is sufficient "residual rhyme" (for lack of a technically accurate descriptor) to make it work. Am I wrong?
Sometimes in my poems I like the last stanza to have a "punch" in it; I want it to end with a bang. In The Dragon Down the Hall the entire poem a girl is complaining how much she despises the dragon down the hall for making her life miserable. The "bang" I tried to insert into the end is the facts that: she wouldn't want the dragon harmed because it is her dad, and that she loves him even though he makes her life miserable. For some reason I guess it isn't the powerful twist I attempted to create. Hmmm.
Thank you VERY much for the feedback ... you certainly gave me some things to think about.
fim

Agreed, I like the use of near rhymes or slant rhymes. I am fine with random ones as well.