The Dragon and the Coyote
       

A man looked into a mirror, but he didn't recognize himself. Instead, he saw a dragon and a coyote engaged in a game of chess. The dragon moved first: middle pawn, two spaces. Then the coyote parroted the move. They stared into each other's eyes. Neither budged.

After three hours, they called it a draw. The dragon flapped its scarlet wings, and flew toward a nearby mountain. The coyote began to howl a lullaby. When the man eventually stopped looking into the mirror, he realized he's the dragon. And he's the coyote. It's always been that way.

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Copyright © 2022 Jose Hernandez Diaz All rights reserved
from The Fire Eater
Texas Review Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission