The Making of Dragons

If only it were still simple,
fire, water, earth, air, the staples
of the older gods But modern days
require choice, that modern phrase
So choose-good dragon, bad dragon, west or east
We must prioritize your beast
You buy your myth with hollow coins
So choose fire in the mouth or in the loins.

The Head:
the placement of the jagged teeth,
the poison glands, above, beneath
the forking tongue Eyes that spark fire?
The mouth, when open, breathing desire?
The jaw reticulated, viz the snake
The voice articulated, viz the crake
The tone a cry, a scream, a roar?
In the making of dragons less is not more.

The Trunk:
the body comes in three basic styles
One, the sinuous body that goes on for miles
(or metres in our continental design)
That is our Ororoborus line
Two, the stumpy, humpy dinosaur
which will cost you a bit more
but comes with guarantees in parts replacement
(We keep a year's supply in our basement)
The third, imported from the east,
well, we recommend that one the least.

The Tail:
caudal vertebrae aside,
a tail can be narrow or it can be wide,
it can be flexible or it can be hard,
used for a rudder, a weapon, a guard,
but all tails must be a certain length
to guarantee balance, poise, and strength
here is the formula (or as we say in the trade the key)
Length from nose to sacrum + 2 X 2 1/2 equals tail orNSL + 2 x 2 5 =T