Poems

Calliope, my dear old friend,
I write you in despair
The numerous works that I have penned
Are hardly standard fare
No, I have grandeur, I have style
My works are epic, pure
And yet denial after denial
Have rendered me obscure

I hardly seek bestseller fame
Or Hollywood awards
But they reject, with notes of “lame”
They use not pens, but swords
These hurt my feelings but I keep
Inscribing what I feel
I persevere and do not weep
I know my stuff is real

Calliope, you know my plight
So help me with my craft
I’m striving only to delight
So I include my draft
And in a SASE envelope
No postage, free of charge
So mark it up and give me hope
I wish to be writ large

My name is Hercules and I’m a demigod
Chorus: Hi, Hercules
I hurt, though I put up a great façade
A Greek tragedy
I slew the lion. That was my first chore
Lions are now extinct in Greece
Then came the Hydra for my second score
And came and came again
I caught the hind, Artemis’ old stag
But let him go
And then the Boar, the weather was his snag
Boring
I cleaned the stables, that was no mean feat
A river ran through them
The Stymphalian birds I did defeat
Bird shoot
The Cretan bull I captured, and released
Bully for you
I brought man eating horses back to Greece
They gave you nightmares
Then Hyppolyta’s girdle, not my best
You lady killer, you
And more damn cows, a full year with no rest
You do seem to be drowning in it
The Garden of Hesperides was found
How about them apples?
And twelfth was Cerberus, the triple headed hound
Hair of the dog
I beat Eurystheus, though at a mighty cost
You never had time for your family
So now I have no quest, and I am lost
The first step is to admit you have a problem
My name is Hercules and I’m a demigod
Applause
I thank you for your time, and knowing nod
Thank you, Hercules. Who wants to go next? Someone who's willing to expose their vulnerabilities... Achilles?

Author notes: wc 238 image generated by me from MidJourney https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labours_of_Hercules

This immortal
Enjoys shaping metal
Into invincible armor
The fires of hell itself
Act as his bellows
His pig iron is
Primordial ore
Born in supernovae
Like anyone who truly loves their labor
He is supremely happy, ecstatic even
Despite the heat
And the humidity
Most of the time
Still there is one thing
That this god wishes he could do
But has failed at, and not for lack of trying
He is unable to lift one eyebrow at a time

Not the king, that's told of old,
Nor valiant swordsman brass and bold.
Just a man, mere and mortal,
Seeking solace through this portal.

Not a damsel, in distress
Nor a princess in men’s dress
Just a woman, mere and mortal
Seeking solace through this portal

Swipe ye left, see them no more
Swipe ye right, and you might score
Men and women, mere and mortal
Seeking solace through this portal

I saw our cardinal today:
a faithful friend of mine!
His Eminence was holding sway
atop our weathered vine.
Resplendent, his red uniform,
what message did he bring?
He must have come here to perform
the sacred rites of spring.

Two decades later, and her face still glows.
The wrinkles that are ‘round her eyes, he knows,
betray the worries of a reigning queen,
but do not temper his desire.  Unseen
are scars from battles that she’s had to lose.
Dressed in her silky robes, this mortal muse
excites his every sense and more.  He wants
to meld with her but his own spirit haunts
these ancient halls.  He must first exorcise
this ghost and so he waits.   He’ll use the guise
of a disheveled beggar and exact
his brand of vengeance. Honor makes him act;
or is it jealousy, to take their life,
these puppies that dare dream to want his wife.
He’s waited twenty years, he’s in no rush.
He’ll satisfy his blood lust.  Then he’ll make her blush.

Author notes: wc 131 16 lines capturing Odysseus's thoughts as he sees Penelope after twenty years