Narcissus and Echo

A tragic flaw
does not always a hero make.

She thought it did –
despite her beauty,
despite the Zeus’ who pursued her;
she set her sights on the unattainable.

Was it self-degradation or the sting
of a jilted spouse that tarnished her –
either way she lost her voice,
her autonomy shattered.

He tolerated her –
to a point – let her fawn
perversely intrigued,
no doubt flattered,
by her willingness to cloy.

Love was not in his DNA –
he lacked the missing component
so wrapt in his own drama;
he had no empathy –
no capacity for compassion.

Was it Nemesis, or
did they just reap what they’d sewn –
for theirs was a tragedy of Greek proportions –

the more distant he grew
the more she desired him
like a flower, too delicate to grasp

the less she demanded for herself
the less visible she was to him –
meaningless words lost on deaf ears

Sadly, theirs is a common tale –
though mythical in its telling, the patterns
repeat – love continues to elude.

napo2018button1

(Pretty sure you can guess today’s prompt.  Hope you enjoyed.)

 

 

Published by

VJ

Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

10 thoughts on “Narcissus and Echo”

  2. excellent poem V.J. Whenever I hear the phrase ‘reap what you sew’ I think of Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’. Hope you have plenty of those on your travels 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  3. This sad tale is so common that it’s practically archetypal — but you’ve breathed wonderful new life into it with your well-chosen words. Nicely done!

    Liked by 2 people

      2. It was a long time ago, but helps inspire my writing. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. We are headed down to Oregon tomorrow, passing through on our way back to Ontario, Canada.

        Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.