To Orpheus and Evolution of a myth

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To Orpheus, and his wife Eurydice,
sister of Hyacinthus, lover of Aristaeus (the
bee keeper).
(N.B. Pronunciation as in Gluck’s music:
Eurydice – oi-ra-di-ché)

1.
Orpheus growing out of self, singing
apple-tree island, on the river bank.
Eurydice, most loved. The air flirting,
surprise at the summer bee. And she sank

into the distance, unfastened. A curse
as question. Petals given to softness
not quite knowing the full story: but worse,
her seed slept as unfulfilled restlessness.

What could this have meant, song stinging words?
Orpheus in a dream unfolding love,
nature, woman, wife. Dressed in white, she went,

undressed, and life weeping. Trees, stones and birds
moved. Aristaeus inspired buzzed above
in the breeze. She, pollinated, hell-bent.

2.
Into her first death. Not even a call
stretching the bridge. Tearful stars and moon cross
Orpheus, all hope pressed against the wall,
his vision drawn in darkness, at a loss.

Untellable, and the music ingrown.
If the sun had surprised another day
without wounding: yet unveiling the way,
the beginning of clouds. His wife had sown

into other destiny, transforming
undreamt afternoon. Fate biting the space
arousing Eurydice without trace

of remorse. Night swelling chorus. Her hair,
her body - flame. Aristaeus pressing
into storm. The day might forget to care.

3.
Which way to the underworld? Orpheus
every leaf ringing: he had always been
tree, stone and bird. Eurydice unseen,
her colourful terror. Oblivious

the time being, and the music failing
to extinguish shame. Orpheus rain-soaked
landscape without crown of laurel. Wilting
signature, no fragrance. Too often hoped

for insight, they had lived in each other.
His departure, seeping into the roots
through the sweet Hyacinthus to uncover
uninterpreted light. Flowers and shoots

parading earthly love. Orpheus voiced
Eurydice in secret - waiting moist.

4.
Trodden on tin-can tango, half buried
bliss. Mirror stroking Eurydice, twin
image both spell-bound, willingly ferried
to other worlds. The Shades indifferent.

Hell lost, unforeseen, a belligerent
dance plucking darkness. Eurydice's trance,
a fit revelling to music, her glance
not yet crushed. Orpheus in panic

plucking rhythms, his colours out of tune.
It happened. Their love caressing ashes,
a dream laughing at itself all too soon.

It happened. An arm's distance, nothing said.
They were Shades’ worldly vestiges,
the way barely touched. Embracing, they bled.

5.
Solar wind blowing souls, Orpheus born
as heavenly pulse, the light of all things.
Time bearing weightless song would never mourn,
he not hearing, would turn and look after

beloved Eurydice’s spiraled laughter.
Worshipped thought receding as the colour
shapes his music insisting on fuller
breath. His first life - tree, stone and bird: his wings

beating, chorus-like. Orpheus a prayer
too late, belief outweighing despair.
Out of the blue fighting a dragon. Flight

of his heart freed from its sinister claws
unleashing the cry of man’s boundless plight
caught in the flames of nature’s fleeting laws.

6.
His will, just noise. He had turned as first stone.
Stars do not judge clouded nights. Naked, bruised,
Eurydice holding a flame confused
the Shades suffering though echoes alone

could not scar her fate. Orpheus stumbled,
seeing! No glory, the chorus crumbled.
And a life for what? Outgrowing a tongue
floating in meaning, a mouth miming song?

Where was the generous smile? A portrait
no longer lived in demanding more face.
Life on a pedestal cast in a state
of triumph with profile lacking grace.

With all his might, the selfless love deny,
stain of tears, and beneath the surface - die.

Evolution of a Myth

1.
Birth of Adam
Zeus in Paradise found snake-like disguise
before a woman, dark, naked, alone
waiting for new life. Pleasure her surprise
entwined with a dream, she sank to the ground.

Trees of the garden not knowing the deed
in the midst of light gave shadow with grace
should beasts of the earth catch sight and be shown
the splendour of love unfolding the sound

all blossom's delight. Coiled up with a need
to shine as the stars on dust of the earth
knowing child-like sleep, came bone of her bone,
came flesh of her flesh. Alone, she gave birth.

With a setting smile, she saw in his face
the God she had known of tender embrace.

2.
Jonah talks
In warmed shallow sea, a shark caught glimmer
of an endless maze where people and fish
dwelt in one ocean. A floating shimmer,
great in devotion, did swim without wish

for further wisdom. The first sight uncurled
man's search for new depth, thoughts fragile and wet
soon insisting, drawn to a shameless world
where the weeping whale dispelled my regret

to sound rhyme bewitched, source of divine seed.
Its soul sighed open and wrapped in white gown
beauteous woman, not a whole day freed,
swallowed my love and let judgement be known.

Her pale skin sang out to my heart's request
pressed tight in her arms, my spirit - distressed.

3.
Exodus
Older than Pharaoh in the bulrushes
basket warrior, soon a Trojan horse.
Land without a dream, and bondage crushes.
Rather in Heaven, the wind as Moses

unearthed the one God. Trembling with remorse
song of the future, thundering angel
that flies in the night, plucks the past and cries
in swelling scent and throb of dying roses.

Man - woman sniffing each other's motive,
no way, no scripture, just a bond of lies
in the wilderness. The moon, possessive
of light without love, a need to excell

through other's weakness. Golden calf christened
as Moses turned his back. No one listened.

4.
Annunciation
Zeus on holiday as the holy ghost
spied a Jewess, young, and burning fate.
Mary, a virgin, her soul never host
to wildest desire, delighted to relate

wild dreams for her guest. Daily her prayers stirred
this land's jealous god, watchful to impress
with flaming terror, whose wrath would be heard
should leisure be shared undone in her dress.

Weight of black curls charmed Zeus unaware
the future withheld. He showed her above
where the heavens cross to free her of care
and join with his light to bring forth a dove.

Not seeing the sign, a crowd yearned to shout
for blood on the shrine. Zeus blew himself out.

5.
Yahweh on stage
Yahweh's gardener, a man as myself
singing love and pain to cool Shade of day.
Language - no meaning talking to himself.
The trees, stones, birds moved preparing the way

as the dying star true to its pleasure
in lasting virtue laments through the night
to let go its soul for greater delight
and shine in Her heart pressing in measure.

She was Shade of day. Love brought Her new care
in joy and sorrow, like water we share,
breathing forever Her smile from afar

- and the waves suffer. She became story.
Stars laugh and explode, heaven left ajar
as Yahweh steals Her power and glory.

6.
The Last Prayer of St. Sebastian
Here once, and no more but a trace left - life
unfolding a face where the soul's space shines
as eyes of stone - tears. In silence, the knife
cuts deeper than fears, and man's heart like mine

crumpled while woman stroked movement to sound
my passion stretching through her being; she
alone knows the force as wife, mother. We
are lovers - condemned, and each purpose bound

to its heart's desire sings into pierced skin
deeper than nerve ends. The wounds praise God's
might,
a myth out-growing the tortures of sin;

my lips are His spikes. Kiss her ring - the light
protecting her folds - and shoot forth sorrows
myself the victim loved by my arrows.

7.
Eros and Psyche
Vision of Eros, a silver shiver
born of endless night. His touch, angelic,
the thing in itself, felt the source quiver
giving the stars new course although a relic

of other gods' dreams living for the quest
to undress unknowns. She let secrets grow,
raised land from water, wriggled her wet breast
scattering droplets of love to his bow.

He withdrew into the promise of string
pulling destiny tight, its tip would soon find
the song of her soul, beating time each wing,
not knowing her kiss sucked out peace of mind.

A tear from her eye seeped to the place where
all hearts are shattered without slightest care.

8.
"And there was War in Heaven."
The big bang, nothing more than God's heart beat
sounds war in heaven as angels cascade
a fallen vision. The command - "defeat
the dragon's shadow, triumphant invade

another version": And spirit found form
without need for wings as an angel borne
by new frame of mind slipped out of her veil
to battle herself, should love, a lost star

(burned out imposter of itself) fall far
from the heart of light. His touch did not fail,
unleashed her rapture to torture her dreams.

His love - no conquest - kissed terror, and streams
of passion flood fears. Her soul loved the word -
cunt: the song of her sex. Heaven was stirred.

9.
Delilah's chant to a fallen angel
Reek of one woman, strip for more, stare tight,
he poised, not to kill, veins shirk under skin,
chill, vexed twisted thrill, burn holes in his sight,
half naked, see-through, I taunt and let him

stroke secrets. Savage. It throbs in the past.
Crawl and beg music. Feel my out-stretched sigh
linger in my arse, pressed dissonance cast
to my quaking soul. Get obscene and cry.

I squeeze between his time. Suck my tits, milk
the world's star-lit hour. Languish in my lap,
lick my strength's casual urge. Writhe like silk

shedding wave after wave. Childless. Unkind
grief. Bury his light in my womb and scrap
this world of darkness. The present is blind.

10.
Not quite a modern Odysseus
No angel, ship-wrecked, washed to dream-like shore,
water-logged spirit, mortally wounded
too many times, feathered warrior no more.
Enchanted island, his return sounded

from her lips. Sirène. She had held his hand.
Haven of love: rocks. Untouched membrane, taut,
singing to the sea, pain pressed into sand,
grains through her fingers: no echo had fought

off her spell. His fear - she would bring his dream
back to life. He slept: by the waves, she came,
undressed her silence and ran as water.

No armour, soul-splashed wanderer would seem
entrenched. After Troy - her suitors: no blame,
the oracle swore she'd bare his daughter.

11.
Death and Transfiguration
Oh rose, blossom white, your tear into blood
between twelve and one - his hour in the night
in the howling storm. A petal, her bed
and his love beyond this world's sight. She could

not know his wagon of corpses: his fight.
An army means mourning. No man could tread
lightly on his grave and excuse the past
crowned in crimson joy. The journey would last

neither more nor less than life, each quarter
undoing his time. In this exchange
her voice echoed another space while

an army perished. Untouched - the water.
The well nourishes. He tasted her smile,
a new discipline addicted to change!

12.
The Light
More than a decade in search of the light.
'Angelness' greater than feathery hosts
battling in heaven for space. Myself quite
at ease recalling death’s dances with ghosts.

Shadows overturned, each variation
opens dilemmas diverting the course
of life to barren questions where the source
fails. Darkness magnifies a projection

of monstrosities. I stand and listen.
Light vibrates within. We breathe like the sun.
Images explode as answers hasten

to relative glory. This world's poor sods
worship prophets, not deeds. The time has come,
out of love for the light, to change the gods.

Jacob the Liar

An owl at the foot of Jacob’s ladder
bemused by all the angelic comings
and goings. Supposedly madder
than the real world, this dream has the trimmings

of a guilty conscience at work. Angels
floating up and down carry memories
of life’s past and future. The owl excells
at night hooting enchanted entreaties

calling for truth. The bird nods and winks,
turns the other way as Jacob wrestles
ancient darkness all night long. The owl blinks
wisdom as each ancestral thought battles

the knowledge that flight is no dream. Its eyes
pierce Jacob’s testament of unblessed lies.