Archimedes and Socrates
Plato and Horatio
Euclid and Ulysses and Odysseus
Crumbling white busts
Galileo and Milton
Copernicus, Newton
Aeschylus, Sophocles
Ancient technology
Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish
Lady Gaga and Rihanna
They're today's culture
~ vulture and piranha
*
The truth is not always beautiful
or beautiful words from sugared lips, the truth.
The Trojan Horse delivered to the door, comes in disguise.
Sturdy in design of wood, but empty as a trickster
who plies her trade amongst unwary
and the inevitable susceptible naïveté akin to the Greeks’ quaint
love for the common old garden grasshopper of all colours —
a Greek tragedy in the making, rivalling that of Sophocles.
My truths are more complicated than the above:
an exposé wrapped in the variable
old clichés of devotion and eternal love of the other.
Keeping the secrets of others is a burden to be
suffered in silence until a beautiful
death do us part – then rendezvous in eternity.
Aeschylus: "Agamemnon"
A man in exile
Feeds himself on barren hope
Yields to fate in time
Aeschylus: "Prometheus Unbound"
Life's hard lesson
Wrong is shameful in the old
Time instructs us all
Sophocles: "Philoctetes"
Words not deeds rule men
Shaped to meet the moment's need
Waging war with fate
Sophocles: "Antigone"
Courage to choose right
And 'gainst harsh reality
Make no compromise
Aristophanes: "Lysistrata"
Poet's plea for peace
Fair breezes speed us onward
Making love not war
Euripides: "Alcestis"
Time will console you
Walk to the end of old age
The dead are nothing
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love."
Sophocles, Greek Poet
I have forever loved you my dearest.
I'd nothing to give, 'cept love, sincerest.
Throughout my life, the thing I held nearest -
A broken heart, through weather severest.
Life on this earth can be a heavy weight.
When I am alone, the burden feels great.
Trudging down the road, helpless against fate,
Living is confusing, hard to relate.
Aimless traveling, a bum on a freight,
Growing so weary, it's gotten so late.
Survival is my goal in decade eight.
Soon, I will be approaching heaven's gate.
When the blessed day comes, and I take flight
With an angel's wings, I will feel so light.
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love."
Quote by Sophocles, Greek Poet
I had fallen in perfect love with you.
Found my perfect future soul-mate show through.
I embraced your love and gentle words blew
And experienced a new life; I flew.
My being couldn't favor, but devour you
In blithesome magic scent of sunshine dew.
Love provides poetic inspiration.
To exploits songs in collaboration
Outcome thoroughly blossom vibration
Seductive beauty and exploration.
Hope, faith, love Un-deterioration
Always truly committed relation.
Ignited hearts and song, full depth and length
Passion soaked in each other's warmth and strength.
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love.”
-Sophocles, Greek Poet
Out of the shackles of turbulent night,
Through the dark meadow to redemption light,
Freed captives of a menacing shadow,
We can look out of an open window.
Held by a warm and compassionate hand,
Led to a beautiful and blossoming land,
A symphony of glee pervades the room,
Out of the hold of the tendrils of gloom,
Hope adds colours to a shadowy day,
The feet find a sure harmonious way,
The mind sees beyond the looming sorrow,
There’s an entry of a new tomorrow.
Lightened of the weight, we see with new eyes,
Love aids us to disperse the gloomy skies.
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love."
Sophocles, Greek Poet
Radiating joyous thanksgiving glow
Love from the heart shows heaven’s blessing-flow
Triumphant in surmounting pain and woe
Sharing goodness to heal wounds of sorrow
Reaching-out, allowing kindness to grow
Midst care, igniting hope of tomorrow.
Gladly constraining forgiveness delight
Love divine offers haven from guilt’s blight
Vanquishing grief toward faith-soaring flight
That warms fellowship around prayer plight
Toward service height and worship aright
Inspiring trust to bloom, devoid of fright.
Thankful for love of God* brought to my soul
I’m cheerfully spreading it---that’s my goal.
*I John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
May 6, 2024
2nd place, "Sonnet - Untraditional" Sonnet Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Constance La France; judged on 5/11/2024
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love.
Sophocles, Greek Poet
How can our world be so abundant and blessed
with nature's vast displays of harmony,
so filled with pictures of beauty and love,
wrapped in the fingers of God's gracious love,
and be so filled with mortals void of love?
God grants us mortals freedom of choice.
We account for the choices that we make.
We account for the courses that we take.
Has our universe been set in motion
and forever programmed to have no choice?
Do non-mortal entities not debate?
God's love set all things in its proper place.
Should not His love heavily guide our love?
Such love guarantees to free us from pain.
‘One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.’
- Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus
While we’re in the vertiginous first throws
of being in love, Cupid across bows
fired seemingly randomly, finding rows
of fertile soil for life’s troubles—pain mows.
People eager to throw caution to t’ wind,
immersed in the unknown, they often sinned.
The hasty promises will be rescind;
impossible dreams reluctantly binned.
There’s no more excruciating pain, true,
than unrequited love—it leaves us blue.
Mesmerised by couples seemingly through
mutual understanding: trust accrue.
We’ve been loved; given freely of our love.
We are rich beyond measure and above.
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love.”
Sophocles, Greek Poet
When love meets your silhouette at twilight,
heart unfurls chamomile flowers so bright,
flickering sunset hues in eloquence,
to veil greying grief in rose elegance..
Life when harmonized with bronze strings of bliss;
the charming cadence of soul's ardent kiss,
paints a picturesque sea of lilac sky,
where mauve threads mirror day-dreams, soaring high.
So let this sonorous pilgrim embrace,
silence that serenades in moon-wrapped grace.
This musical devotion shared so dear,
shall unchain the flaming fears tangled near.
I'm weaving hope from syllables of peace~
and crippled thoughts, bleeding ink does release.
" One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love."
Sophocles , Greek Poet.
Life to build, life to lead, please be sincere.
Life to love, life to enjoy, life to care.
Life to nurture, life to work, life to share.
Life to relish, to nourish and to bear.
Life to enjoy and also to honour.
Life is ground : Be a spirited player.
Life is precious, be alert and aware.
Life to be righteous ! That's earnest prayer.
Life meets joy and grief : Be bold every where.
Life is always challenge to burst in flare.
Life to be glorified in glaze and glare.
Life to serve, lending hand to sufferer.
Life is truthful : ‘Lies- malice’, don't ignore.
With love and compassion life to explore.
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love."
Sophocles, Greek Poet
If love was a metaphor for flowers,
our souls would rejoice in April showers.
Foundations nurtured by amorous hands,
would prepare rainbow colours on bland lands.
Romance of spring would bloom like daffodils,
yellow, white and gold shades of zealot thrills.
Solace of tulips would soothe in fresh air,
red, orange and pink tones dancing with flair.
Lovers of the sun would worship its zeal,
as its selfless nature helps cold buds heal.
When stalks start to wilt from ardent burdens,
sow new seeds to rejuvenate gardens.
Life can be toxic, breeding weeds like hate.
To attract bees, spread nectar to ease fate.
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love.
Sophocles, Greek Poet
Some suffering in life we can’t avoid.
However, no excuses should there be
for pain that leaves inside our hearts a void.
It’s love we need. I think most would agree!
If love could rule, at last we would have peace,
and that would mean an end to every war.
Just think of it - all brutishness would cease.
Whatever on earth are we living for?
We live to love and be loved in return.
God’s children that we are, how can we hate?
Our neighbors’ welfare should be our concern
and having charity our greatest trait.
Since ancient times, the answer has been clear,
yet still away from love we seem to veer.
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life.
The word is love.”Sophocles, Greek Poet
Love’s a feeling difficult to describe
It’s the loving potion angels prescribe
From the start love’s a perpetual vibe
Etching on one’s heart a charming inscribe.
Love’s the melody sung within one’s soul
A lifetimes supernal leisurely stroll
It’s having someone who’s there to console
When in need of being made to feel whole
Love grows lovelier as the years evolve
Affirmation to love’s glory extol
As love is life’s most ineffable role
Aim for love to be life’s ultimate goal.
True love can never be put asunder
Nothing on earth could disturb love's thunder.
“One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love.”
—Sophocles, Greek Poet
Love
The strong intensity, of primal love,
He’d tossed from a tree, choice gift from above.
She caught the apple in her snow white glove.
As Newton’s gold fell, the cooing of doves.
Soon, or later, a claddaugh surprises.
Hands holding one heart in friendship sunrise.
The crown under for better or worse skies.
He’d be called for service…can’t say goodbyes.
Farsickness - rains every day in their eyes.
He longs for faraway places…she sighs.
He carries one photo, but she - a prize.
All his pain and suffering, worth the highs.
No letters, Dear John or Jane, on the fence.
They put their all in - survival intense.
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