Categories
Ancient Past fiction poetry

All Hallows’ on the Styx

Bast sings a melody
for the
Sphinx
Elbows to the chest
we’re on the
Styx
Oars to the moon
night’s old as fire
turning
not returning
in the winding gyre

Steer to the left
Souls bare all pain
Face to the knee go Zael and Cain
slouching off to Bethlehem
filled with guilt
Roll to the right
you’re on the Styx!

Chant with the Lion
Cramps this cold
Eyes on the Lion
Pull and hold
Reach for the Lion
Push and fold
Elbows to the chest
Pull and hold!

(/▽＼*)｡o○♡

All Hallows’ on the Styx | SB
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!
(Stay out of the Styx)

By ΠιCΘLΞ

Life is short, so let’s be decent.

64 replies on “All Hallows’ on the Styx”

Love love love. Catching up on all the gems I have missed while away…and this gem catches me. Your song touches my soul…”Oars to the moon…in the winding gyre…”…I know this in the heart of me. Thank you for sharing.

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“The center cannot hold…” I’m really drawn to the way you’ve woven Yeats into your own work so skillfully. Nicely done.

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Thank you for this. I didn’t want to be overwrought but I needed the references to stand out. So I stayed away from the familiar lines and focused on the mythology. Luckily for me, Sphinx and Styx rhymed at the right time of year.

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the rhythm of your lines feels similar to that of “The Second Coming”. maybe i’m projecting, i dunno; do you find it to be so? is it intentional?

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Thanks for following up. The rhythm is not intentionally similar to the original poem. I edited it with the rowing motion in mind. Björk’s Earth Intruders starts with a similar beat, which is actually derived from a traditional folk dance movement like Kumina. You can hear the similarities if you play them one after the other. It’s a lot to look at but that is basically why some readers will mention that my work is layered and ask about certain elements if they can’t pick them out. I appreciate your attention. Thank you.

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The Kumina beat appears to work with your writing here. It beats having a Greek chorus !

Michelle agreed to let me use her work ( Giving appropriate credit & etc. ). I’ve just got to figure out my presentation. I’m not going to just slap some copies of her digital renderings with a link to her work, & leave it at that.
Thinking. Thinking….. I need a dirty martini with a Bleu cheese – filled olive. 🙂 Or at least a beer.

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Occasionally just leaving my apartment for a couple of hours helps my creative process. Disconnecting from cyberspace & ” interfacing ” with real life can shake loose a lot – not multitudes, but a fair amount – of ideas. I’ve even been known to ramble down to the town Square at ungodly hours of the morning. But not tonight.

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me too. she’s really odd/amazing.

anyway, was just curious if your layering had included further “folds” in that direction, ie. if the rhythm had referenced a piece of music holding further echoes of significance to the poem. i love work where the references turn and echo on themselves.

it’s masterful the way you have this put together.

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You’re very kind, thank you so much. I’m still a work in progress and every bit of support adds up. I’m glad you’re also a Björk fan. I look forward to catching up with you soon.

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I haven’t seen the show in ages. I wondered when they’d end up Grey’s Anatomying it into fast talking actors’ stand-there-on-the-mark and look-really-self-conscious because you hate your colleagues hell.

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The Simpsons lost their saltness & became fit only to be treaded underfoot ( to use a KJV metaphor ) years earlier. Their edge is gone. It’s like the animated Fox version of SNL / Tonight Show, it’s gotten enough age on it that people just don’t want to pull the plug. Or something.

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I like the word, actually and I’m signing adding them to my handwritten “love letters”. (It’s what we call memos at the office because otherwise no one would read them.) I’m laughing so hard right now at the irate responses I imagine I’ll get. By the way, I hope you enjoyed your 40 minutes of sleep, Danieeeel.

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That’s right, I became so used to seeing Bast / Bastet as a leopard – headed woman or as a cat. Or as Lee Meriwether, Julie Newmar ( Neumire ) or Eartha Kitt (In a nice homage to 60’s Batman campiness). I bow in respect to this clever piece of verse…..

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Oh, yes….. Kumina. I looked, & I heard. Jamaican send – off ( ? ) music. I’d like THAT – & maybe some NOLA – style jazz played at my wake, since I’m not going to be buried. I also want an open bar & casual dress. No ties !! I’m basically a casual person.

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I’m wearing a Proenza gown to yours, and having a pomegranatini. I’ll make sure to have a small troupe from Cirque de Soleil to perform to music from Enigma. And I agree, no burial, please, I’m Buddhist. Thank you so much for taking the time to look into Kumina. It is summoning music for talking with members of the Underworld. A few of my friends, history majors at uni, went to some of the live sessions. Real scary stuff, they said. I stayed away, of course. x

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” Scary stuff ” – they sound like my folks. They don’t trust much or have mind – room for much for anything that isn’t traditional meat & potatoes WASP Christian. Still, family, got to love them / tolerate them at least, blah, blah, blah. 🙂 Order a dirty martini where the olives are stuffed with Bleu cheese. You’d be pleasantly surprised. I’m not going in for the cryonics option thing, either ( So many people who SHOULD know better call it cryogenics ). I wouldn’t want to wind up like Ted Williams. 🙂

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I can’t believe we’re nonchalantly discussing what cocktails to enjoy at your designer sendoff but it’s Halloween and I guess we’re right on topic. x

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A fitting topic. Coming to your blog is like a virtual cocktail party in an equally virtual piano lounge / bar. Any mode of dress is irrelevant – Of course.
Pomatinis all around. I’d enjoy discussing thinking outside the box as opposed to family & friends who are wary of thinking / drawing / coloring outside the lines. I could do an entire stand – up routine about it !

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At least you have a sense of humour about your tormentors. It’s a harsh world when your family is all “NO!” I can relate very well. Just today, I was thinking about my strict Catholic aunt, who I love very much but she does not approve of my being a Buddhist. She’s an American citizen so the understands “Freedom of Religion” but I’m her neice and therefore have no rights. To resolve the issue, I keep a low profile. x

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You should hear some of what my folks say. My uncle once said that they should lower the flag to half-staff on Good Friday in honor / memory of the Crucifixion. I guess freedom of religion is irrelevant to him. The U.S. is ** not ** a “Christian nation” no matter what some people ( The Tea Party & Religious Reich AND my relatives ) think. I just have to remember not to journey too far into the hedge – maze of religion & politics when I’m around them. They also think Kim Davis – KY functionary & homophobe – is a modern-day martyr. Aarrgghh!

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I totally get that. And being someone who speaks with people from different cultures and religious backgrounds every day, imagine how suffocating it is to be around people who think it’s bad to enter a church (same denomination) that is not in your diocese. Consider that I was raised by vegans who thought carbonated beverages was the mark of the beast but had no problem with my reading Chaucer or watching French and German films (rated Adult) before I started high school. So, that should explain a lot about me. My childhood was probably a nightmare.

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My parents were strict, yes, but – They still encouraged me to think for myself & make up my mind about some subjects. My uncle, aunt & cousin appear to be fashioned from almost totally different fabric. It’s okay for THEM to express what they believe, but anyone else’s beliefs have little to no value.
You can choose your friends. You can choose your enemies. But family – That’s in the stars ( OK, I borrowed a quotation from ” Star Trek TNG’s ” Chief O’Brien, but what the hey ).

Slight Segue – I know a very good female artist on the deviantArt site who creates digital art of female body – builders & writes stories about them. From S. Africa, very talented. She used to post photos of her own progress in muscle development, then she felt like she had to remove them because she was catching harassing garbage from someone else who couldn’t leave well enough alone. I think I’ll ask her if I can post some examples of her work, a little background, & a link to her account as a blog post. Although after the recent unpleasant harassment, she MIGHT be somewhat hesitant……

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“It’s okay for THEM to express what they believe, but anyone else’s beliefs have little to no value.” Perfect description of some excommunicated friends. As for your friend, the South African artist, the best way to deal with harassment is to ignore the provocateurs. As long as what she did makes her happy, and does not interrupt someone’s viewing of commercials on Fox News, there is no reason for someone to interfere with her. I think if you have a good rapport with her, she’ll let you showcase her work. So, go for it. x

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My cousin gets all irritated ( understatement of a lifetime ) if someone questions her beliefs or the depth or sincerity thereof. An acquaintance informed me that THAT is a sign that she may be insecure about them herself. I’m not sure. I think a lot of ” religious ” people define ” faith ” as kissing up to J.C. ( I’m trying to be tactful in case there are an fundamentalist / evangelical YEC, etc. types that pass through here )
Michelle, my S. African artist acquaintance, was somewhat taken aback by the whole incident. It may have been another S. African potential ” cyber – stalker “. Her decision was a tad hasty & rash, but, like I said, she was shaken by it. I like some FBBs, although some had a certain amount of chemical ” help ” & look somewhat asexual / masculine, while some look positively eye – poppingly gorgeous. Michelle needs no such ” help “. She’s pretty natural. I have very little objectivity. It can’t hurt to ask her….. I won’t be hurt & get all sulky if she declines.

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