20070831

Puff, the Magic Dragon

by Alana Wilson

Puff, the Magic Dragon, lived on a shelf. No one ever played with Puff, so Puff played with himself! I was about nine years old when my uncle recited this to my cousins and me. Of course, I laughed along with the rest of the kids, but I was feeling sad for Puff and his neglected, lonesome state. Over the years, I repeated the rhyme to my friends and we all laughed, not realizing the true meaning. Then, one day, I understood it and was sad in a new way for dear Puff, in a way that I related to all too well.

6S

Alana Wilson, author of Seven Years of Marriage, is a full-time college student, mother, wife, caregiver and slave to her extended family. (Sometimes a girl has to write to get away from it all.)