Levy armies to conquer those weaker than themselves.
Perjure themselves with treaties promising peace.
Squander their hoards on mercenaries.
Brawl with sword, spear, shield.
Subjugate horses.
Colonize.
Stay.
Raise bees.
Trust their sisters.
Formulate codes of law.
Build aqueducts, cities, gardens.
Squander their time on art to outlast them.
Ever put anyone else's needs ahead of their own.
Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but has lived in Pittsburgh for thirty years. She is a Grand Master of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, and three-time winner of both the AnLab Readers' Award and the Rhysling Award. The first print edition of her epic-fantasy-told-in-poems, The Sign of the Dragon, was published in January 2025. She hides her online presence with a cryptically named website (marysoonlee.com) and an equally cryptic BlueSky account (@marysoonlee.bsky.social).
