Saturday, November 5, 2016

Rob Schackne #136 Mousai #1 Prologue

This cycle. A Boston poet, a friend, once wrote me that he was real glad that I had written it -- and very kindly left it unsaid that he was equally glad that he had not. Neglected and rewritten many times, it still seems too dense and daft and mad and I often wonder what got into me. Then Mr Natural, that old rascal, I hear him approaching, muttering cha-cha-cha -- and he thunders at me, Don't be such a chicken-shit! And so it is in that spirit that I offer it here. 


MOUSAI

                             Muses, please come charm my mind, as
                             I go along the straight road to the grove.


1.


How do the redoubtable sisters fare today?
The Nine who would dance together sweetly

Whose dresses were soaking wet
Everywhere was the scent of flowers
You all went underground
Sandals slapped until there was no sound


In the wind we could still hear you
In the waves of the sea, in the trees
In the firecrackle late at night
In waters laughing in the woods
Outdoors we still heard your song
You had not left, you’d charmed the earth

It was by accident we lost our way
Through too much hatred and guilt
All the bitterness of memory
We couldn’t turn into a single lesson
We couldn’t even win the battle of wisdom
Which still tears at us in hard dreams


Come to us now, Mousai, charm our way
Lend us music, heal our tired minds
Or put us to sleep forever. Charm our bodies
To hear more sound where we thought was silent
Enter us into dark places with your light
To see all that had been hidden, is returned.

3 comments:

  1. This is. a great prologue to the Mousai. It has all the flavour of the Homeric hymns but with a slight hint of the modern. I look forwrad to reading the rest.

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  2. I have read both #136 and #137, Mousai #1 and #2.
    I can't add to the comments other than to say these are treasured poems, Robert.

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