Discovery and Dragonflight

©1997 Steven Macdonald

I am not alone.

I see
sunlight gleaming
On your shoulders
Moonlight glows
Within your eyes.

Wings so slender
Thoughts so near
Yet we’re earthbound
Queens don’t fly

I want to fly higher and higher
Soar to the stars
Higher and higher
Yes we’ll go far
And I know that they say
We’ll never fly this way
I want to float higher and higher
Fly to catch that ray.

The blue above us
Calls us to wing
Float over Hold and Craft
Hear breezes sing

But hidebound studies
Keep us secure
Ignore the tapestries
Queens don’t fly

I want to fly higher and higher
Soar to the stars
Higher and higher
Yes we’ll go far
And I know that they say
We’ll never fly this way
I want to fly higher and higher
Fly to catch that ray.

Soar upon the wings of fate
Challenge time
Burst all the bonds they make
The sky is mine

Now we’ll fly higher and higher
Soar to the stars
Higher and higher

Yes we’ll go far
And we’ve only begun
To make our run
And we’ll fly higher and higher
Fly until we’ve won
Fly until we’ve won
Soar until we’ve won.


Discovery got its start as a drum/guitar jam with Tom Billings at OVFF in Columbus, Ohio, in October, 1996. I was flying, and he was following. Later, as I boiled it down and turned it into a performance piece; I realized that it brought out the emotions of pleasant anticipation and delighted discovery as it unfolded. Callie Hill’s added flute gave it a much needed melody and added to the emotions already evoked by the piece.

Dragonflight This is a Lessa of Pern song- relaying her feelings regarding the ability of queen dragons to really fly; and her will and spirit to overcome artificial limitations placed upon her- which reflects upon the feelings evoked by the Discovery preamble.