Quill + Chorus November

Hello, dear friends! It's finally November and I am looking forward to my upcoming Nutcracker shows! I've been so busy with rehearsals but I've loved learning new roles and choreography.

I'm also starting to think about making Christmas presents - handmade things take time! Let me know what some of the best Christmas gifts you've made are, because I need ideas!

---

This month's poem is by one of our wonderful teen poets, Ansley Ward. It reminds me of Smaug, the dragon in The Hobbit. The Hobbit is my favourite book of the Lord of the Rings, although I do love reading about Frodo's adventures. Which book is your favourite?

This month's artwork is by Soga Nichokuan, a Japanese artist from the 17th century. It is a six-panel folding screen depicting a dragon in ink, gold, and silver.

Our musing for the month is on how I've taken some of my dragonish tendencies and turned them into moments of light.

Finally, the quote of the month is by J.R.R. Tolkien, from The Hobbit.

Poetry

Dragons

By Ansley Ward

Armor plated monsters from realms of molten gold

Their breath burns like fury and their eyes are hard and cold.

Their talons are like slivers of shining silver blades

And trees will burst asunder when they breath upon a glade.

Always armed and ready, sleeping in his mail,

When he erupts in anger, the lesser beast will quail.

He soars on rippling wings that stroke the densest dark,

His burning, smoldering, breath sending sizzling sparks

Into the gloom, now far below where stood a single peak

Where no snow was laying, though the winter’s face was bleak.

Though once the snow had lain there, and never moved at all

A shadow came up, long ago, dark and cruel and tall.

The shadow, now a looming figure in the dark,

Sent a forest up in flames with a flying spark.

The trees like whither matchsticks, stood there in the gloom

While the shadow swooped above like a writhing, scarlet bloom.

He tossed his head and spread his wings and soared across the fen

He flew away into the dawn and was never seen again.

Musings

The Dragon Hoard Harnessing dragonish tendencies for good Read article

​

Artwork

Quotes

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him. - J.R.R. Tolkien

​

Wishing you a warm and cosy November!