Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Bouts-Rimés project: Poem the Second: Poem Girl

Poem Girl left a charming list of rhyme in response to my call for help with this Bouts-Rimés project and I hoped to do it justice with a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.  If you're not familiar with the myth, here's the dumbshow, a lovely little shadow puppet student project adaptation I found on Youtube:

Or you can read the story for yourself here. You'll notice that the original ends rather more brutally than this shadow play.  Or, better yet, seek out one of the hundred or so operas based on this myth. 

Mythology is a rich source of material for the arts and the Greeks contributions have abided for good reasons.  They strike at universals.  Here we have love, loss, death, art, and in one act a major lesson in faith.  So here now is my modest contribution to the grand tradition of retelling the Orpheus myth:

Sight Regained
by Paul Mathers

I remember my song of her grace
and her anguished connubial face
when the Underworld stretched out its lace,
drew her to the Erinyes' mace.
So I forfeir my rights in this race
to the banks of the dead gave my chase.
At Persephone's feet made my case,
Calliope's inheritance my ace,
I was called upon my steps back to trace,
return from existence's base.
As I turned, Hades claimed my embrace
and my flower returned to his vase.
Now through savage woodlands I pace.
In severance, returned to my place.






2 comments:

  1. Really Cool. Having perused the list originally puzzling over how anything could come from it, I was, today, amazed to hear a story springing up. Great Day to ya!

    scott

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  2. Thank you so much for using my words
    I'm very grateful the poem was beautiful
    and I'm honored to be apart of this poem.
    ~Poem Girl

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