![Watts_George_Frederic_Orpheus_And_Eurydice[1]](https://ladynyo.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/watts_george_frederic_orpheus_and_eurydice1.jpeg?w=450)
Hear my rendering of an oft-told tale
(mixed with a leavening of Bullfinch)
Composed in view of Orpheus’
Lyre in the Cosmos.
Orpheus, son of Apollo and Calliope
(I forget Eurydice’s heritage)
Was to be blessed by Hymen.
He brought no happy omens.
His torch smoked, drew tears.
Flowers wilted,
Gods and Goddesses coughed and sputtered.
Orpheus, master of the lyre,
Whose notes melted tiger’s hearts
Made trees uproot and creep near,
Rocks to soften-
Loved his Eurydice.
But Fate conspired with happiness.
Eurydice, chased by Aristaeus
Was raped.
She died a broken, bloody death
On the end of Aristaeus’…. sword.
Fast did Orpheus descend to those Stygian depths!
His tones pleaded for the return of his Eurydice.
Sisyphus sat on his rock to listen,
Ixion’s wheel stood still
And the Furies eyes now wet with tears.
Ah! The Underworld turned upside down.
Eurydice came,
Garbed in her winding shroud,
fresh with young death.
Here’s the deal. Walk out of Hell
And don’t look back.
Orpheus! You almost made it!
Eurydice, twice dead, disappears.
Sometimes,
In both love and death-
It only takes one glance.
Jane Kohut-Bartels
Copyrighted, 2016
Tags: dversepoets.com, mythology, Orpheus and Eurydice, poetry
Lady Nyo's Weblog 
September 21, 2017 at 7:09 pm
Lovely poem Jane. One glance – reminds of Lot’s wife too, about whom I read a feminist critique some time ago now. It’s natural to look back, and sometimes necessary. To be punished so for such a natural instinct!
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September 21, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Yup. To be punished for such a natural instinct. And Lot’s wife, too. Thank you, Petru, for reading and your enlightening comment.
Jane
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September 21, 2017 at 7:16 pm
That last glance, to never look back… it also reminds of the wife of Lot… there is something of the old myths telling us something about that glance isn’t it?
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September 21, 2017 at 7:18 pm
Yes. A map for survival perhaps. Thank you, Bjorn.
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September 21, 2017 at 7:26 pm
Terrific close here Jane and relate very much to how you turn things on their head here – fresh insights.. Which is always what the best of writing is about…
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September 21, 2017 at 7:44 pm
Your choice of wordage is impeccable and wonderfully painted.
These lines got me:
“He brought no happy omens.
His torch smoked, drew tears.
Flowers wilted,
Gods and Goddesses coughed and sputtered.”
The myth of long ago draw to me a lot of surrealistic moments of tragedy and its survival of things happening at the time.
Beautifully well penned. 🙂
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September 21, 2017 at 8:29 pm
Ahhh, but you know there is a reason we are not to look back! Whether it is a “natural” response or not. We are told not to look back and that means…don’t look back. I like what you did with the myth here Jane. My husband read this to me and I so enjoyed it.
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September 21, 2017 at 8:48 pm
Thank you, Toni. And pray your eyes get better soon.
Hugs!
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September 21, 2017 at 8:49 pm
Thank you, Charlie. Myths open themselves to eons ago and full, ripe with lessons.
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September 21, 2017 at 8:50 pm
Thank you, Scotthastiepoet. I went on to do other renditions of myths, but this one remains my favorite.
Thank you for reading and your comment.
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September 21, 2017 at 9:55 pm
Great last lines!!
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September 21, 2017 at 10:53 pm
Love the retelling and superb closing lines Jane ~
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September 22, 2017 at 12:04 am
I like your spin on the myths that you choose to “revamp,” Jane. Much of mythology I am unfamiliar with but I enjoy learning through your eyes…and pen. Hope all is well and good in your part of the world. And, no more hurricanes! xo
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September 22, 2017 at 12:55 am
Hi, Sweetheart! Things are recovering, except for the houses and the streets where huge ancient trees fell. Well, we learn together. I fall in and out of love with mythology. I’ve been so wrapped up in 16th century Japanese customs, myths and behaviors for a while that anything else seems like a vacation. LOL! Thank you, Gayle . And no more hurricanes!
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September 22, 2017 at 12:55 am
Thank you, Grace. and thank you for reading and sending a comment.
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September 22, 2017 at 12:55 am
Thank you, Qbit.
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September 22, 2017 at 3:31 am
You must be extremely well versed in mythology to cover such a broad swath. Is there humor in it or is just my imagination?
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September 22, 2017 at 3:50 am
It’s tough to see the stately (or maybe not so stately) ancient oaks and others fall after such long lives. But everything has an ending and some go by way of hurricane. Not me, I hope! xo
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September 22, 2017 at 11:26 am
A fresh interpretation of an ancient story, Jane! I love the lines:
‘He brought no happy omens.
His torch smoked, drew tears.
Flowers wilted,
Gods and Goddesses coughed and sputtered’
and
‘Sometimes,
In both love and death-
It only takes one glance’.
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September 22, 2017 at 1:54 pm
Thanks, Kim. This was a lot of fun and I appreciate those who read this interpretation.
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September 22, 2017 at 1:55 pm
No, not you, I hope! xox
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September 22, 2017 at 1:59 pm
Me, versed? LOL! Well, I used to read some of it…mostly Celtic, Greek, certainly Japanese…some German, but I wouldn’t say my brain pan has retained much of it. I have a couple of copies of Bullfinch and a few others, classical writers, around here, but my eyes have been taken off most of these myths…except the Japanese for a novel that I finished last night. took 10 years of research and writing. LOL!
Thank you, Nan. And if you see humor, I believe it’s all in the eyes of the reader! And humor helps all pieces of writing I believe. Goes down better.
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September 22, 2017 at 5:03 pm
Just one look either way is so pereptive…and so true. Myths or no that look can be a game changer.
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September 22, 2017 at 5:03 pm
perceptive obvs!!!Doh!!!
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September 22, 2017 at 5:28 pm
LOL! Thank you, Paul.
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September 22, 2017 at 5:29 pm
Yep, a ticket to Heaven or Hell.
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September 22, 2017 at 7:56 pm
Oh, the haiku at the end alone! Thank you!
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September 22, 2017 at 8:22 pm
Thank you. Thank you for reading and your comment.’
Lady Nyo
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September 22, 2017 at 11:43 pm
What a gift you have, not only for retelling but for rethinking these myths. Wonderful.
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September 23, 2017 at 4:40 am
“Here’s the deal. Walk out of Hell
And don’t look back”. We would do well to take heed.
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September 23, 2017 at 7:47 am
It’s always interesting to read about myths… Loved this…Sometimes,
In both love and death-
It only takes one glance.
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September 23, 2017 at 8:34 am
Thank you.
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September 23, 2017 at 8:35 am
Yes, we would!
Thank you for reading.
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September 23, 2017 at 8:36 am
Thank you, Sue. I wish I had more time in life to go back to these myths. They enrich us in so many ways.
Thank you for reading and your comment.
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September 23, 2017 at 10:17 pm
I vaguely remember the story and what I remember mostly comes from Black Orpheus. I wonder why she looked back? Nice retelling of the story with an emphasis on that “one glance” for love and death.
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September 24, 2017 at 12:39 am
Well, he looks back. As I read it.
Thanks, Frank.
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September 24, 2017 at 8:12 pm
You welcome, Ladynyo.
Your poetic is always refreshing and have lots of perspectives. 🙂
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