The Lizard King

#94 - I am the Lizard King. No, not Jim Morrison, or a lounge lizard, or a politician. I am King Leonardo. Leo, to my friends.

Welcome to Before I Forget . .

- I’m glad you are here.

The Lizard King

I am the Lizard King. No, not Jim Morrison, or a lounge lizard, or a politician.

I am King Leonardo. Leo, to my friends.

From the fence to the east and its wide-open expanse beyond. To the forests of the south that tower to the sky, and to the rocky western hills they say stand against the ocean. To Guy’s house to the north, that block of building, Their home.

All I can see is mine.

All that would matter to a Lizard.

After the sun with its blinding light, has run its course across the sky and has buried itself in the western horizon, the sky above is without color or depth.

The moon, with its flattering light and as big as the sun, waxes and wanes showing her face to all things below.

- A perpetual chase? - is the sun overtaken by the night only to be, in turn, itself overtaken by the sun, in an ongoing battle to rule, one or the other, the Whole of It? - Or just a dance? -

Lights from the house are glaring, then gone.

There are stars, sparkling and dancing. The night rules.

The things of night I rarely see. The night brings danger. Like Cat and Rat and Coon and Possum and Skunk. Most retreat before the morning dawns.

I tuck away in my secret place until the warming sun rises in the east to begin its march anew.

Guy walks among us, and often sees us. He calls out, “Hey, Blue-Belly!” He pays little attention to us other than that.

He sits in the chair most of the time staring off here and there. Sometimes, deadly still for the longest time.

Our greatest danger is Cat – that black blur without a tail. She appears out of nowhere, and it is done.

Guy has saved many of us. Me included. My tail has only recently returned to its full length. Sacrificed to Cat, in my escape from her clutching claws.

Gone to this world, or yet alive, she takes us into the house and continues to play with us, as if we were playing back.

She doesn’t eat us. After a fortunate escape, many of us perish from wound or starvation and lie hidden in nooks and crannies throughout the house to be found later, much to Their surprise.

If Guy sees us, and can catch those of us still alive, we are taken outside to RIP, or to return home to tend our wounds.

Guy has a Gal. She doesn’t like to see us in the house.

Often is the time She sees us as we make a dash from behind one bookshelf to another.

She has a piercing scream.

Gal yells for Guy to do something. He jumps at her command and does something.

I think they mean us well.

In my world right now, I have two concerns. Love and land.

Both are worth their cost.

It is spring and love is in the air, and our blood races.

I want only Lola. Each spring I’m put through the paces. She and her friends dance for me. It is a splendidly tortuous undertaking, chasing her smile. It makes me crazy.

Most of the little ones around here are mine. We go back four generations. My father was King Lawrence. Leo, Jr. will follow me.

We have lost many. Cat takes her toll.

And there are other males to fend off.

It was difficult during the time my tail was growing back. I barely survived, even after Guy saved me.

Larry and Lonnie press upon my land. They would overrun me if they could. They circle about but must wait, as I am in my prime. We have yet to face off - where push comes to shove.

Larry, from the fence line in the east, and Lonnie, from the low rocky western flank. Both want what is mine. They will be strong soon.

But not now.

I race from my lookout across the yard to the high fence top. There we meet and Larry can clearly see he is no match.

And the same with Lonnie as I meet him on the lowland plain and convince him to retreat.

Both are brash but all show - for now. Neither is yet big enough or bright enough to best me. They can see my power as I strut my stuff, chomping at the air.

They could join their efforts to dethrone me, but each one wants it all for himself. As do I.

The day will come when I will know my end has arrived, and only then will I know if I have lived.

Until then, I shall eat and drink and be merry.

Such is my world.

Still The Lizard King - part 2

Thank you for reading Before I Forget . . !

Please leave a Comment. I much appreciate it!

For my newer Subscribers - an earlier post from Sept 29, 2023 -

More posts for your perusal are in my archive. Check them out!

Image by Me

See you next week, my friends. : )