BRAM STOCKER'S DRACULA by PAUL DEFFENDALL
I existed for centuries
of night
called monster by some
or saint by others
but I call myself
DRACULA
Put away those crosses
that is only a silly superstition
spread by ignorant peasants
or by my enemies who claim
that I'm cursed of God
a child of the devil
I think not
Take Van Helsing
for example
he read the myths
of the vampire
and tried to treat Lucy
only succeeding in making her sicker
by giving her the wrong
type of blood
But I digress
that is rather personal
and shouldn't be discussed. . . yet
My real concern is history. . .
and the present
History called me--
Vlad Tepes--
a tyrant, a madman
but look around
Explain Hitler
who single handedly wiped
out most of the Jews
because he needed
a scapegoat to blame
Germany's problems on
and he wasn't even German
but let us not forget
he also nearly wiped out
the gypsies who served
me when no one else would
Take Stalin
a hero while he was in office
for he ruled by fear
he also killed countless
people in his country
and his allies against Hitler
conveniently looked the other way
but once the war ended
Stalin became a villain
and once he died
Russia cursed his existence
At least my people
truly respected me
even as they feared me. . .
and so did the Turks
Yes it is true
I ate meals surrounded
by their crucified bodies
it sent them a message
DON'T FUCK WITH ME!!
I'm Dracula (Son of the Dragon)
and I'll gladly feast
on your bowels in hell
I defended the church
from the Moorish Turks
I'm damned by the church
only because the hierarchy
feared my power
I defended Transylvania
my homeland
even as I ruled them
by an iron hand
Yet my people loved me
despite their fear
for I made them somebody
and I protected them
Unlike Ceausesku
a modern tyrant of Romania
who cruelty was directed
at those he ruled over
wiping out whole villages
on a personal whim
for the sake of improvements
he robbed the people of
their culture their identity
and the church sat idly by
allowing this to happen
Finally the people rebelled
led by people of my stock
Ceausesku was executed
like the dog he resembled
He's rotting in hell
yet I survive
Don't judge me harshly
you think I enjoy
this hideous thirst for blood
creating others like me
in a mockery of life
I'm cursed to this existence
by enemies when I lived
I must admit that
occasionally I enjoy
claiming a new wife
to share the eternity
of my damned existence
and they came to me
willingly eagerly
Take Lucy for example
trapped in a life
she no longer cared for
Lucy found me on the cliffs
of Whitby as I watched the sea
we talked of her life
and I explained mine
she begged me to bite her
and when Mina interrupted us
she begged her not to tell
But happiness was denied us
for a time by Van Helsing
he caused her death
and then he murdered Lucy
with a stake through her heart
big deal, a wooden stake
that was easily pulled out
Lucy revived and kissed me
and then Mina came to us
wanting to join us
It was Lucy who bit Mina
and Mina who fooled Van Helsing
we sent him to Transylvania
where he died by the hands
of his friends who thought
he was Dracula
Then Mina returned
and received my curse
freely and willingly
from Lucy, my wife
We sold the doctored story
to some two-bit actor
named Bram Stoker
to fool our enemies
surprisingly the book did well
as people's fascination grew
movies were made
and we acted in them
Lucy, Mina and I
We still survive
but we no longer hunt
we go to a blood bank
and buy what we need
everybody has a price
and is corrupted by greed
Lucy teaches school now
I train gymnasts
and Mina cares for
our modest home
with no one the wiser
we survive
Sometimes Lucy and I
grant small bites
to our young charges
but we never give them our curse
We are here and we live
and other vampires exist
beware for one day
you might meet us
on a rather personal nature
REMEMBER THIS AND LIVE
Paul Vernon Deffendall
August 1, 1993
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