No roar of fire or brimstone,
no cloud of dust erupts
from the fossilised mosaic
of forefin, ribs and backbone.
The extended tail’s a fake,
implanted in the rocky tomb.
She’s a mislabelled,
200 million-year-old surprise:
an ancient monster that terrorised
the primordial Somerset coast
concealed the incomplete bones
of a sea dragon embryo.
Kim M. Russell, 2017
My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Skyflower Friday: Monsters
Today Kerry is standing in for Shay, with a Fireblossom Friday flavoured challenge, for which she would like us to write a poem about a monster or monsters: real or imagined, mythical or made up, symbolic, surreal, abstract, nightmare or waking reality.
This poem was inspired by an article on Science Alert.
writing in north norfolk 
Gosh that picture is incredible! You stir such vivid images here especially; “No roar of fire or brimstone,
no cloud of dust erupts from the fossilised mosaic of forefin, ribs and backbone” .. Beautifully done.
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Thank you very much, Sanaa!
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This reads aloud very well, Kim. I enjoyed the depth of your story. Great piece.
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Thanks Jane.
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Oh no.. are you telling me that there are no dragons… so sad.
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On the contrary, Bjorn, now that they’ve identified the sea dragon, we should expect more dragons!
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Whenever I read ‘Here be dragons’ on a map, I want to go there. So many of the myths must be founded on the discovery of such bones – evidence indeed of dangerous beasts.
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woo hoo…Dragons.I’m in.
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🙂
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We are always fooled by what we think we know. Paleontologists say among themselves its what the fossil record doesn’t say– yet– that is the mystery of our prior existence. Loved the image and conceit here.
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I wonder if sea dragons still exist – that they have just been hiding like the coelacanth.
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Always, Excellent writing. 😎😎😎🥀🥀🥀
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Thanks Dorna!
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