A blue dragon curls
around the contours
of this Chinese jar.
The jar’s lustrous surface
may signify
water, cloud, air.
The blue dragon’s roiling
and writhing epitomise
all of the powers that are.
The idea is held
in this stillness
of porcelain ware.
Note I gather that in Chinese mythology the dragon is essentially a benevolent agent. Also that it is an embodiment of elemental or even cosmic forces. So what may appear to our western eyes as merely decorative and fanciful may actually express deeper and more serious issues.