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.
(Pretty sure you can guess today’s prompt. Hope you enjoyed.)
Love that.. 💕 your really talented. I can not write poetry, but I admire it. And I think I’ve definitely dated this man you write about way back when… 😊 🙏
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Thanks Lana – I definitely married him, lol. Might have been the woman in the poem….
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😊🙏💕oh no… 😕your words are very powerful, that would make sense…
thank you for sharing it.
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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.
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We definitely are, it will be hard to go home tomorrow. 😊Have a safe trip home.
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😊🙏💕oh no,
thank you for sharing it.
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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!
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Thanks Heide! I appreciate it.
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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 🙂
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Thanks, Colin. We’ve been home since early May, hoping to go again soon.
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