Down the path between the apples through the maple grove of suicides then left at the old wall along the wire fence to the brook- bank where narcissus noses into skunk cabbage and hepatica: Call me Apollo, crashing in the underbrush with my arrows, my bow saw and clippers out for your flash of white tail and alert to hack me a path to your lair, to your cult’s den, … Read more
Translated by Natasha Bershadsky Hippolytus and Phaedra To Gregory Nagy narration Hippolytus, young, beautiful and modest, son of Theseus and some Amazon, was devoted to Artemis, scorning Aphrodite. The offended goddess of love inspired in Phaedra, his stepmother, a vehement passion for him: she used to go from Athens to Troezen, hiding herself behind a myrtle tree and peeking at him during his athletic exercises; and as the desire was… Read more
Temporary Like Achilles #2 (for Leon Golden) Inspired by Achilles’ own words Iliad 1.149–171, 1.365–392, 9.308–429 'Rage,' Homer sings. 'Sing the rage of Achilles.' Twenty-three raids, twenty-three sieges of cities, all taken, feeding soldiers and the pride-lust of commanders. A true shepherd of the forces. Unique in speed afoot, strategic brilliance, endurance and making men endure and save themselves from themselves. Noble, caring even of spear captives. Briseis loved him.… Read more
AJAX PULLING AT THE THREADS OF WAR I was like the others, I was just a man among men, I listened at the little temple, I felt the snake lick at my ear, there were generals to follow and battle lines to be formed, and the sky above us furious and the rage set in, the full gospel trim of it And it was very simple to be… Read more
The wind was dead, not angry or peaceful, or kind or cruel but dead. The air did not move but hung, hot and heavy, leaving men to gasp for breath in open space. The ships sat low in the glassy water, nothing moved. The waves lapping at the shore like the tongues of thirsty dogs at a trough empty of water. Weak waves, devoid of the aggressive white crests of… Read more
