Shedding Scales

Then
And now
And some time ago
The Far East dragons
Shed their scales in anger,
And threw them in the willow trees
That decorate their china
Where they sit as deep blue rocks
Or vines that path among the trees
Entangling Schechuan beans
In fiery flavor mysteries
Today I try to vines untangle
Treading lightly in as I do
Avoiding dragon scales and
The anger of the overwrought
Asian dragons overweight!
Shedding scales