works by w.pham

works by william pham, 2005-present
The World Began with One Thousand Dragon Dreams

The world began with one thousand black eggs
Each as smooth as the fresh obsidian
Formed by the explosions of volcanoes.

The North Wind swept two hundred of these eggs
Away, to the fabled Golden Palace,
Where they were kept warm, and safe, and soft.

But inside the Golden Palace there were
Two hundred greedy and jealous servants
Who wanted the smooth black eggs for themselves.

And so two hundred shadows took all of
The two hundred black eggs away with them
In two hundred different directions.

Now there were only eight hundred eggs left.

The East Wind cradled in her arms these eggs,
Until, one by one, they fell from her lap
Into the rough embrace of the rough Sea.

Shadows of a different sort rose up
From the depths of the Sea with reaching hands
To bring the eggs wherever they wanted.

Eight hundred voices echoed from the shells,
"Eight hundred hands may bring us to the walls
Of the fabled Golden Palace, so please

Take us to where our two hundred siblings
Rest inside their black eggshells, warm, and safe,
And soft, dreaming two hundred dragon dreams."

And so the world began with one thousand
Black eggs, with shells as smooth as the darkness
That filled the halls of the Golden Palace.

One thousand black eggs hatched with one thousand
Shatterings of one thousand brittle shells
And out came one thousand proud black dragons.

They echoed in one thousand voices strong,
"We one thousand dragons are young, but wise,
And we will build one thousand dragon homes.

In the corners of the Golden Palace
We will find the scraps of our dragon dreams
And put them all back together again."

And so the world began with one thousand
Dragons dreaming one thousand dragon dreams
Of the fabled Golden Palace.