Stigma the Dragon

Everybody hears the dragon
roaring from her cave
up in the mountains

Blazing out opinions
on mental health

“All people with a mental illness are dangerous”
Clouding the town below
with her smoky breath

Blast of hot fire
bursts out of rocks
“Contracts do not exist for people who have a mental illness.”

People trust the dragon
because she is
higher up in the world
She has lived a very long time
and had life experiences

Breathing heavily
she starts to speak again
“People with a mental illness have no rights,” she bellows
Shooting out flames
staining people’s minds with soot

Then one day a knight arrived
Twenty-five years old
and the town folk started to chatter

The green fire-breathing lizard
began to notice
something was wrong.

The man dressed in armour
with his shield
knew the truth would protect him

So he journeyed
to the cave dwelling reptile

Angry green-scaled beast
breathed heavily on the knight

He glowed.

The armoured brave knight
took a deep breath and said
“Did you know?
If you have no education
on mental health
and make assumptions on the subject
you just look like an idiot?”

The scaled lizard eyes were open wide
in a blank stare

“Another thing,
People with a mental illness
are more likely to self harm,
than harm other people.”

The green scales looked pale.

The iron-clad man
adjusted his chain mail
brushed off some dust

“And people with a mental illness
are perfectly capable of holding a job.”

The green reptile didn’t look so good
Swaying from side-to-side
eyes stared to water

The steel plated man
walked off waving good bye
with a satisfied grin

The truth about mental illness
echoed throughout the village

And Stigma the dragon
was never heard of again

Some say she died of embarrassment

As the rude awakening knight

continued to slay more dragons....

Richard James Bell © 30th September 2009