Smaug

No line of sunlight falls
Upon dank cavern walls
No ray, no thread
At dawn, at eve, at noon
Even summer's kindest hour
Her middle day
Just the northern gloom
And the ethereal xenon moon.

No drop of water falls
No balm, no bead
No cooling stream
To quench the wretched fire
Of his thirst.

Have you ever seen the crack of a dragon's eye?
The languid light seep forth
Like a flood of blood
Beneath a dungeon door?

Have you ever seen his claws?
What tusks!
How his skin sheds and sheds
Lying shameful all about
Like husks?

Have you ever smelled his breath?
The heave
The sigh
Those impenetrable plates
While piles of silver and of gold
Diamonds here, sapphires there
Bones and goblets all about.

From his cave no light creeps forth
Just vapours dark
All about is desolate
Charcoal trees, splintered stumps
Proud, profound
As blackened matches.

No winged seraph comes
Upon the sky (nor dare
Those crimson lids! The fire!)
Unto the lair.

Hush! The giant stirs...