Poem: Slaying Dragons & Monsters

Slaying Dragons & Monsters

Rudy sends me an email on his Python
project— "Slaying Dragons & Monsters",
saying he's on his hands and knees.

Searched in Google Images and sent him
web links to 500 million dragon drawings
and 600 million pictures of monsters

with this caveat— monsters will swallow
you up unless you embark on a hero's
journey— read Joseph Campbell's writings.

Found books in the Los Altos Library—
Martin Arnold's The Dragon: Fear & Power
Stephen Asma's On Monsters: Our Worst Fears.

Hercules slayed Nemean Lion in a cavern,
Theseus killed the Minotaur in a labyrinth,
St. George slayed Dragon guarding a cave.

Why are these monsters living in the dark
like vampire Dracula afraid of the light?
Then, a sudden revelation dawns—

Dragons & monsters are not outside of us
but within— our doubts, fears, and worries
draining energy from doing our work.

Forget regrets of the past and worries
of the future— taste the present moment—
Live the here & now— Follow your bliss !

Do what you love and love what you do—
Focus on Oneness for there's no other—
then all the dragons & monsters are slain.

— Peter Y. Chou
Mountain View, 3-23-2020

Martin Arnold (2018)
The Dragon: Fear & Power

StephenAsma (2009)
On Monsters

Hercules & Nemean Lion

Theseus & the Minotaur

Raphael (1506)
St. George & Dragon