Hi, friends!
As many of you know, I love to incorporate mythology into some of my poetry. I truly believe that mythic allusions can thicken the poetic stew; enrich the experience through reference and inference.
This week’s poem uses the Greek story of Clytie and Apollo… a tale of obsession and unrequited love. Tragic in every way the ancient Greeks loved drama to better explain their world.
But thousands of years later, don’t we all sometimes struggle with our desire to be loved? Or the lengths we might take to be loved? Even when rejected?
Think about this poem in that context. I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings about it in the Comments Section below.
-PS Conway ☘ ☘ ☘
☘ ☘ ☘ ☘ ☘
a sunflower
long before the Christ child
drew his first wee frail breath,
reaped his first oblation,
a frankincense tree grew
in the vast Persian sands
a daughter betrayed by
a sunflower, great sol
denied his hallowed bride,
love lost in sands of time
destroyed by envy’s hands
yet in vain those hands took
root, her eyes ever locked
onto dawn’s halo gold,
Clytie transformed transfixed
to watch his chariot
to follow him from morn
‘til dark, facing his great
effulgent arc, but absent
the tender care shown a
fragrant frankincense tree.
Bottom line is, you can’t force love. Clytie should have let Apollo go if he no longer had eyes for her. That poor nymph buried in the sand. I feel sorry for her.
Naomi!! Right? But what would we do without all that amazing drama? Lol