The recital #poetry #dVerse

“As if we could hear music inside the words” – Gail Newman ~ Trust

We listened, round the fire that night
and back three thousand years in time
(not quite) but still, we listened, spellbound.

The scene not by electric light
was lit, above the stars in canopy
crowded, as if to listen in, respectfully.

And as the ancient bard spoke on
reciting verse in extinct tongue
we understood, though strange the words were:

Achilles fell, and Troy was razed
Penelope weaved alone each night
and Circe lit the sailor’s heart with magic bright.

No other entertainment, since
has left me wrapt nor in such trance
as when the moon lit Homer’s song in Athens.

© Experimentsinfiction 2021, All Rights Reserved

Written for dVerse

Laura has given us a very interesting (and challenging) prompt for Poetics this evening. We have to choose one from a selection of final lines of poetry, and write a poem ‘as continuation where the poet left off, thematically, in the same mood, rather than literally. Give special thought to your own final lines.’

I chose a poem by Gail Newman and added the final line as an epigraph at the start of the poem. I was not familiar with the poem and (as Laura suggested) didn’t read it until I’d finished mine. The poem could not be more completely different from my own, so I’m not sure if that means I fulfilled the brief, or failed completely!

My poem is completely imaginary: I have never been to Athens, let alone attended a firelit recital of Homer in Ancient Greek there. Though I rather wish I had! Sadly, I couldn’t find any photos of Athens lit only by moonlight.