By Clarissa Janeen
A dragon hungered for some fae
Upon he wished to feast.
Fear struck the hearts of all of them
Who laid eyes on the beast.
He gnashed his teeth and bore his claws.
The fae were all afright.
“Take heed,” said the old Faerie Queen,
“We will survive this plight!”
The goblins all took up the call
To spread word far and wide
For those the beast might gobble up
To take care and to hide.
The brownies found holes underground
‘Neath rock and tree and glen
For fae to hide and figure out
What they might all do then.
Into their books, the fairies dove,
To figure out a plan.
Such dragons had been slain before.
And so, the work began.
The trolls then helped to organize
All the poor frightened fae,
To give them structure and some hope
And put their fears at bay.
They needed gold, they needed gems
To bolster their defense.
The Faerie Queen offered her crown
To cover the expense.
And so they marched upon the beast.
The hobgoblins were brave
To take a stand against their foe
And risk a fiery grave.
Meanwhile, the elves all took their time
Within their peaceful rest.
So when they swung, they rarely missed,
And struck the dragon’s breast.
The pixies volunteered to help
All those who had been harmed,
Who needed food and needed rest.
Yes, all of them were charmed.
And through it all, the little sprites
Kept their great dreams alive
By filling them with hope and joy,
Their spirits to revive.
They came together, all the fae,
That none of them were least.
And through their efforts, they took down
The foul and loathsome beast.
Author Bio
Clarissa Janeen is an author, illustrator, and editor from San Diego, CA. She has a BFA in Creative Writing with a minor in Illustration from California Baptist University. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing at Emerson College. Her writing and illustration have been published across a handful of journals and magazines in addition to PTM, including Alethia and multiple issues of The Dazed Starling. She is the illustrator of the picture book The Squirrel and the Moon (2023). You can find her online at clarissajaneen.com.
