When Cerberus wept into the soil
Of the reddish relics of the deceased,
We visualized each passerby who arrived at this point of Hell.
We were travelers,
From the Seventh World,
Only,
We knew not the gravity of the reality.
We were blinded by
The myths they’d pass down from generation on forth.
Like a long chain
Flowing through rosy endless course.
When our loved ones bade their farewells,
They placed an obol inside each of our mouths
To ensure our fare,
And not 100 years of wading through darkness.
And so it happened,
Our souls, after being crammed and compressed into an old box,
Was met by Hermes, who was an enchanting sight -
We wanted to cling onto the wing spurs as tightly as we could,
Knowing our fates.
But we were eventually greeted by Charon.
The ferryman was actually nicer than they’d depict,
But by nicer, I mean he didn’t say a word.
It was awfully eerie,
To row through the soft, subtle, spiritless waves
Of the Styx.
It was so silent,
Too silent.
With every passing ripple
A strange scrape was heard,
It was a high screech which pierced
The ears.
But it would only come
After every wrinkle of water would roll by.
So, it must’ve been an hour of bobbing like that,
The wooden boat swayed so effortlessly, so desolately –
Until we reached the gates – of the Underworld.
The three-headed Beast would whimper lowly as we approached,
But it kept its eyes fixed on me and my Companion.
The cloaked man finally spoke,
“Out!”
He pronounced, with his slender finger pointing towards the hound –
We stepped out of the wooden vessel,
And we were lead by Cerberus unto Tartarus –
Which is the underground court of the Three Judges.
On the way there,
The voices were resonant, and awareness had broken through,
The scrapes weren’t scrapes at all – they were the tortured.
The smells and emanations from the burnt
And the slashed and – the furnaced –
Was a putrid and revolting vile stench.
But we were forced to continue forward,
And follow the guide,
The horrible hide – which enveloped this dog – was black as day.
Until we turned a corner,
Of dim blazes, which lit the grand room –
Of black and red and little infernos strewn throughout the sin –
“Nor him, nor him!”
Declared Sir Minos –
Aeacus backed him too –
However, be it the grace of the divine,
Or be it luck,
The third opted in our favor –
The two opposing judges on their golden thrones –
Which seemed to melt near the bottom of the heat –
Gave us a look of indifference –
“So seems we have a majority”
Asserted Sir Minos –
Our luck was running thin –
But the judge in our favor spoke,
“The sin, the sin” –
“Free these helpless captives – or else send them to Elysian Fields”
But Aeacus wasn’t having it –
“Listen here Justice, these men have committed thievery,
Manslaughter, arson.”
But the judge in our favor spoke,
“The sin, the sin” –
“Let not these men suffer for the troubles they’ve gotten in.”
So King Minos negated him –
“These are acts of aggression,
voluntary aggression”
But the judge in our favor spoke –
“The sin, the sin” –
“Manslaughter is incidental when fighting with the world,
I’m sure there wasn’t any malice in their hearts – within.”
After back-and-forth dispute –
The case was finally settled,
“On behalf of the human nature, the two of you will win”
Announced the judge in our favor –
“But let it be the final straw, because the darkness is grim”
Our hearts were so content –
Of the mercy that was showed –
The World and I hopped back on the boat -
The sway had made its way –
To a place where hostility wouldn’t be tolerated –
We had to go through Hell – to realize our wrongs, and to truly change
Within.
Receiving kisses, By Cherubim –
Bound To Paradise –
The World and I overcame – “The sin, the sin.”
-
Author:
Rocky Lagou (
Offline) - Published: March 17th, 2022 11:19
- Comment from author about the poem: This is a poem FILLED with meaning and truth. I hope you enjoy it, and consider spending some time to analyze. Btw, there was a STRONG allusion mentioned throughout this poem, you may discover it by paying close attention to some quoted words and towards the end. It's a reference to one of my favorite poems.
- Category: Reflection
- Views: 49
- Users favorite of this poem: Christina8, GoldenRibbon00 or UnderTheGreenLeaves, theneophiles_words.
Offline)
Comments6
This is simply a masterpiece, but to analyze it would take more time than I have, sadly. From what I've read you are a genius with a killer vocabulary! Awesome poem so far but I'm not finished. I put it in my favorites to enjoy later! Great job Rocky!
Oh thanks so so much Christina! I'm so happy to see you enjoyed it and even called it a "masterpiece." I'm truly humbled to see such kind-hearted remarks. Also I do have to admit, this was longer than I had intended it to be. But I think one of my weak points in poetry is the fact that I have a hard time trying to convey something meaningful in a short amount of lines. That's why I'm always so fascinated when I see short poems with such profound messages. Sorry in advance for the length, I know, sometimes when I see long poems I tend to hesitate whether or not to read it. But I'll help you with this one. For start, the meaning is actually quite simpler than you may expect: in short, it's about the corrupt world we're living in and the influence it could have over us. But the overall takeaway, is that we must learn to push past the evil and live a life freer from "sin," or bad actions do more harm than good. The line that hints that most is the last one: "The World and I overcame – “The sin, the sin.”" So yeah it is a little bit of an extensive poem but I'm super delighted with your generosity. You're so special. Have a wonderful day. ✨
You have a wonderful day as well!
Very Exquisite and Imaginative Piece Rocky Lagou. The References to Greek Mythology and Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy are in Perfect Combination!
Thank you so much! it's so nice to see you around! Greek mythology is definitely at the center of this poem and it revolves around the development of character. That "within" that I mention twice that we need to change in order to spread love and share kindness. Thanks so much for your review, have a great day! 💖
You very much Welcome Rocky Lagou.
It good to be here on MPS Sharing and Enjoying others Literary Pieces.
A very good Poem based on the most Important Aspect that we as Humans must look to Improve each and and every moment of our lives.
Oohh, I don't know all those guys and gals you mentioned! A fine write R.
Hehe. It's a all Greek mythological characters. I did a little bit of studying before writing this and I wanted to express a deep meaning via a trip through the underworld. So I hope you felt at least a little nervous while reading this piece, it's the closest this I've done to goth. 😅💖
You write in a realm above me. Thank you for challenging my brain to grow and expand. I googled everything and it was great!!!
Much obliged! You're words are much appreciated! I drew a lot of inspiration from the Greek folklore and it's nice to see that you were able to learn a little more through my works, that's my ultimate goal, to leave the reader informed. The main message of this piece is that we, as humans, shouldn't have to express so much hatred and discord in order to reach a point of regret for our wrongdoings. It's an indirect message for world peace! Thanks again and have a lovely day! 💖
I would indeed be lying if I said this was not magic .. but like Christina8 has already indicated, time is against me .. so at the moment I am not in a position to delve too far beneath the surface ink you have so splendidly laid before us .. I do however, envisage returning here from time to time to further my understanding and appreciation .... I also note your proposed leave of absence Rocky, so I hope your time away from here is a happy one and filled with inspiration my friend ......... Neville
Thank you so much Neville for such kind and caring words! This poem is a little extensive so you can take all the time you need. I think my tip would just be to try not to dig too deep into each word and line, but to look at the overall picture a little more. It's nice to see your appreciation as I really strive to create poems that'll fill the reader with knowledge and entertainment. My small hiatus will be a little break for me and possibly my muse might go roaming around in my head, beckoning me to write. But either way, thanks again, and have a wonderful day! 💖
Impressive penning Rocky this must have taken you an age.
Just an aside I am looking forward to hell as they say hell has no fury like a woman scorned and my fear is that there may be a few scorned women in heaven that passed my way. So hell looks the better of the two options...lol
Thank you so much for such kind words! This poem touches on various themes but the overall message is to not fall into the world's chaos, and stay steadfast in your worth and virtue. Also, those women may well dwell in the skies, just hope not to cross them, or live happily underground. Idk, hell may not be as bad as they depict. 😅👍
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