- By David B. Gosselin
Chinese Mountain Man I: Dragon Mountain

A master and his pupil stood
Before the foot of Dragon Mount.
They readied themselves for the trek
Across its dark and snowy grots.
Tilting their heads, they watched the fog
Winding around the ancient spires.
Like a slumbering dragon’s breath,
It wrapped around each silent peak.
“The legend says that many tried
And lost their lives,” declared the boy.
Squinting their eyes, they raised their heads
And gazed upon the darkling heights.
The master turned to him, "But have
They crossed its cliffs and scaled its crags?
“And have they dared to make the trek
Up Dragon Mountain’s emerald crests?”
“The people said that only fools
Would dare such things,” replied the boy.
The sage looked up and calmly gazed
Upon the snowy mountaintops.
“True knowledge will always be far
For those afraid to climb its peaks.”
The master spoke and then began
To make the long and winding trek.
David Gosselin is a poet, translator, and linguist based in Montreal. He is the founder of The Chained Muse poetry website and the founder of the New Lyre Podcast. His first collection of poems is entitled Modern Dreams.