Susan Hawthorne #199 Hecuba

Hecuba becomes a dog
while most would read
this as a demotion
as a dog she was able
to escape from the war-
riven city of Troy

Hecuba's life is one of loss
but she was probably a seer
and her son Hector was too much
filled with his own importance
to follow her instructions
about not fighting Achilles
she knew he would lose and die

she was also mother of
Cassandra whose ears
were licked by the serpent
Cassandra's words were
not believed    but what is worse?
not to be believed though true
not to be obeyed though right
like mother like daughter

Dante says of Hecuba
that she began barking
like a dog    listen to the howl
of the grief-stricken woman
in her howl is much to be learnt