Matthew Markell 
Fire That Never Dies 

Dragons are powerful, archetypal creatures that appear in the ancient myths and fairytales of all cultures and peoples around the world. As such, they are enduring symbols in the human imagination as creatures that inspire great fear, awe, respect, and even wisdom. Myths are the projections of the complex and fascinating aspects of our own human nature, mirrored back to us in the form of storytelling. As such, we are encouraged to connect with all of the different characters and creatures in myths as aspects of our own psyches. This is no less true of dragons. Dragons, and other beastly creatures, often symbolize those parts of ourselves that we fear, loathe, are ashamed of or even indifferent to. As such, our initial instinct is to fight or ignore them. Inner peace and reconciliation, however, require from us a very different approach. When we learn how to tame and befriend our own dragons, we stop waging war on ourselves, and we start to listen. Befriending dragons teaches us the art of inner peace and reconciliation, and in turn, we become better equipped to offer this kind of healing to world around us.