Aeneid Book 6: The Descent into the Underworld
by Virgil
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
The Sibyl began to speak to Aeneas:
“God-blooded Trojan, son of Anchises,
descending into the Underworld’s easy
since Death’s dark door stands eternally unbarred.
But to retrace one’s steps and return to the surface:
that’s the conundrum, that’s the catch!
Godsons have done it, the chosen few
whom welcoming Jupiter favored
and whose virtue merited heaven.
However, even the Blessed find headway’s hard:
immense woods barricade boggy bottomland
where the Cocytus glides with its dark coils.
But if you insist on ferrying the Styx twice
and twice traversing Tartarus,
if Love demands you indulge in such madness,
listen closely to how you must proceed...”
Keywords/Tags: Virgil, Aeneid, descent, underworld, Aeneas, death, door, Jupiter, heaven, woods, Cocytus, River Styx, Stygian, Hades, Tartarus, voyage, journey, love, madness, god, gods
Does anyone have the conception
that I'm disconnected from reality,
so fearful to face more hardships?
All I do is filling up spaces with words,
they fit perfectly to make me feel easy:
it's awful to be judged with contention!
Am I someone so selfish to be derided by jesters
for choosing a hideout from the internal chaos?
Who praises himself to be a perfect in all he does
and says has achieved none besides foolishness!
Most of us adapt the mentality of the unwise,
thinking that the quicker we climb the ladder,
the better we reach our status to earn a merited price;
should all take an unexpected turn, we'll pull our hair!
Does evrybody blame me for filling spaces with words?
they have lifted me in dire times and helped me cope;
and the few who couldn't, committed suicide by the rope:
I thank Heaven I still breathe life and travel more roads.
Purple hearts made of metals, and gems;
They don't mean a thing;
You see, beyond the reality seas;
Rivers boats filled with dreams and fruits;
For the only hearts that have merited worth;
Is the heart of the Father God and Jesus Christ;
~
Humanity, don't give me;
Your material metals and materialistic degrees;
All of which symbolic, rust, decomposes and burn;
Give me my Fathers Favor, Grace and Love I chose;
For His honor, His glory lasting
For the only hearts that have merited worth;
Is the heart of the Father God and Jesus Christ;
Royality rules I so Desire the Purple Heart of the Lord Our God
3/18/24
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2024©
DEEP LOVE
alongside
reputation
shattered
in meticulous
focus
a hazard
embroidered
consciously
inspiration
endless
encroaching
on the wanderlust
catalysing
the passionate
it merited.
abstracted
realities
easily
distracted
SECRETS!
on and see greats.
Don't be grateful
until you light
Your cigarette of secrets.
Mourn me till I come to live till eternity.
Treasure your certainty
To be content in your quantity and quality.
Age is just number
But grace is a number of experiences
Unmerited yet merited
Grace is the key to confidence
Hence don't be measured by guilt
But be patient with God who knows ur secret
Verse I
I seem to be in the lowest of spirits,
wondering if it's a harsh test of faith;
I must undertake and not shut my mouth
with a loud hallelujah and praising words!
Chorus
I won't let life and fate deprive me
of my last hope; I'll defeat
every adversity that surely awaits me
with this harsh test of faith;
I could surrender and beat
my chest that feels hopeless and weak:
is this what I want and seek...
desperately clinging to wrath?
Verse II
Everything is hard going through
cold and gloomy days of useless misery;
why confide in unwise hearts and cry?
Look above: isn't the sky endlessly blue?
Verse III
Dismay is a sudden wonder not easily understood,
it's a miracle in the midst of many doubts;
so is forgiveness when it's really merited:
appreciate His mercy and shun the agony of sins!
Verse IV
Nothing will be given if not asked in prayers,
be transformed: replace pride with humbleness;
become the new light that shows more brightness:
it has the power to take away deceitful blindness!
Part One
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/mid-summer_night_dream_1482320
Concluded
Elves, dwarves, mini giants, and hobbits all performed.
But last was Fili as he strutted to the middle of the glen.
Secretly clutching his alexandrite lode, he flew
Straight up ten feet with a view for all to see.
Fireflies flew erratically around him, a ghostly shine.
As Fili moved his clutched hand, he turned.
Somersaulted, spun and returned to his standing stance.
Below the people of the glen clapped in awe.
But now Fili was worried, how was he to descend
And thus receive his well merited prize?
It was the River-maid who rescued him, as she flew
And whispered in his ear. Change the lode to the left hand
She whispered, giving him a luscious kiss.
Soon Fili landed and the Fairy Queen beckoned him.
You can take your first midnight skinny dipping and eat all
The strawberries you like so much, she graciously said.
She took his lode, put it on a crown and on his head it sat.
And now Fili, the hero, was annoyed no more.
.
F
E
A
R
:
There is - A Black Cat in A Dark Room
Nobody- But has seen this elusive cat
To answer - Lurking fear; apprehension
How cat may Attack; who when where
Say experts: Cat is most dangerous
A Potential: Killer is striking terror
Postulates: Caged in theories
Prayers: Are not working
Many; A………………..””. Theories afloat
Fear: grips All but no Inference met
Doubt: not News Not A shred..
Haunts: You May Dreadfully rest
Escape: None Ask you can not
Obey now: you are… Ruled and owned
Where to whom: >> Killer feline ravages
None dare open the Room for own safety
Existence of room kept Obviously one secreT
Ominous Uncertainties Over mutant ABCD-R
A new syndrome has Merited; is insidious. A
Variant ABCD-R: A Black Cat in A Dark Room. U
Are mandatorily advised to maintain DecoruM
Quietly Festering in A Corner of Mind is- TRAUMA
Either she had skipped a class,
Now in lecture halls with Glass
Or had merited The New
For The Quite Brilliant Few:
To no longer mow down grass
Mean labor prefects bypass;
What All Former mates treasure
And strictly take for pleasure
Like Ice-cream-recharged leisure!
It is an Immunity
Not in University
And that’s The Adversity,
For others she shall pity.
For the merited sake of Kangaroo
Let’s march towards any exhibiting zoo,
Advised to be humble the Napoleon-Tough,
Who still could meet his Waterloo
With a kick, hard and rough
From the Mature Kangaroo.
For the clear heroism of Kangaroo,
Control the urge to at it boo:
The Beautiful Brain behind our incubator
By medics as treasured as a student his calculator.
By biologists classed under Marsupial:
Whatever that means;
Its members rare like pearl
And rather few in screens.
Long jumpers with dreaming feet
To wisely forget the kangaroo’s feat;
Not a fame to ever pick
In a thousand Olympic…
Australia’s legacy to Humanity
And The Premature in maternity.
Why must life be such a complex endeavor
Always pressing in upon the seeking heart
Making every day a hard-earned victory, or
A resounding defeat, an open or closed door?
It is the middle ground we seek, the placidity
Smooth flowing pleasures that bring us joy
Calmness prevailing in times of bitter feast
Words which deliver us to peace and serenity.
At the end of every day being able to speak
Of the day gone as time well-spent, well-lived,
Words of gratitude merited by a good deed
Humility earned, not seen a sign of the weak
Expecting the best of everyone around us
The simple life embracing morality we seek.
written July 9, 2021
Don’t use special characters!
In writing I was told,
Next to the title of my poem.
(The letters black and bold.)
“Poems Don’t Have to Rhyme,” is what
I chose to name my piece,
But with this title, what I wrote
The site would not release.
For only letters, numbers, dashes,
Commas are allowed;
Apostrophes and colons, too,
Are welcomed in that crowd.
I looked back at my heading
And I didn’t understand
Exactly how it merited
That tyrant-like command.
I had to change my title –
It’s called “Poems” now on my list,
But someone messing with my words
Makes me feel awfully pissed.
Wondrous times we've merited
no longer feeling desolate
I'm feeling high-spirited
something I did acclimate
with conditions dreary
going to the doctor isolated
my nerves made me weary
now I'm quite elated
for I must be on my own feet standing
where independence is forced upon me
making me stronger and being
grown for all to see
Trust In God-An Acrostic
Term fellowships grant undoubting reverence
Rational credences distrust, mistrust
Unconditional credences reverence
Superstitious credences discharge, in God we trust
Tentative guesses become align with His Kingdom
Infidelities serve belief in forgiveness
New credences guess, in God we trust
Gross infidelities swear God already forgiven
Obvious merits deserve grace observed
Derivative instruments discredited confession devotion merited
7/15/19
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. ©2019
HE'S MY JESUS---
HE's my Jesus,
and I love Him
Nobody else..
Can take me up
Above the waters and
He can
Turn me around;
Oh, and He's my Jesus
and I love Him
I love, I love Him
There's nobody else;
Who can die for me
Save my soul now I'm free
No body else
Can take me up
Above the waters and
He can
Turn me around;
Can take me up
Above the waters and
He can
Turn me around;
I'm just a sinful man;
Won't understand;
It's God plan
That I be redeem;
He gave His Son life
So that I wouldn't have to die;
I
Thank you Jesus
And I love you
No body else
Can take me up above my sins;
Your merited grace saves me;
ah!! He's my Jesus.... and I love Him for that
4/3/17
Written words & arranged music by James Edward Lee Sr. ©2017
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