Little Velveteen Knight

Infants like phantoms, denied and suspected
Their existence discovered always when least expected
Prepared for the day, the knight, he just cannot keep
The perfect mask in its place, when he is falling asleep.

Faces slacken in slumber, each rigid muscle relaxes
Without warning the hidden child comes to the surface
From the deepest darkness, some unnameable place
Of the tower inverted, froms a different face.

Climbing upwards with effort, to see through the eyes
Windows to the soul -now shut- are starring inside
And while the outside beholder sees the face of a child
This fearful and helpless infant turns to a wild beast inside.

Becomes the architect of the most terrible dreams
And puts a cruel fears of death into our hero's sleep
This child is a dragon, who you must strive to kill
Though it defeated you once... and, yes, it always will!

Oh, little velveteen knight (and heroes of all kinds)
Endeavour to slay the dragon
(And yourselves when you try)!
Yes, this monster's immortal and your fight is in vain
It only will last forever, some monsters just cannot be slain.

This infant's a beast, and the dragon's its guardian
Protecting his child, so that no one can harm it
Their most gruesome shape puts the fear of death into
Our supposed (but velveteen) hero.

Yet, you must get me right: there is no choice for the child
Its intentions are good and always upright
Tell me, why do you frown?
Do you bear questions or doubt?
Have you not recognised that both, dragon and child
Are in fact more than kin they represent the same thing!
And all our characters that you will see or seem
Are merely part of the dreamer and therefore the dream.