Shatter and Shake us Awake!

Happy Feast of St. George, patron of England!

The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.
-- The Red Angel in Tremendous Trifles

From "The Queen of Seven Swords":

"St. George of England"

Mine eyes were sealed with slumber; I sat too long at the ale.
The green dew blights the banner; the red rust eats the mail.
And a spider spanned the chasm from the hand to the fallen sword,
And the sea sang me to sleep; for it called me lord

This was the hand of the hero; it strangled the dragon's scream,
But I dreamed so long of the dragon that the dragon was a dream:
And the knight that defied the dragon deserted the princess.
Her knight has stolen her dowry; she has no redress.

Mirror of Justice, shine on us; blaze though the broad sky break
Show us our face though it shatter us; shatter and shake us awake !
We were not tortured of demons, with Berber and Scot,
We that have loved have failed thee Oh, fail us not !

with gratitude to Dr. Thursday...