Recently I was going through some old writings I had done. I have the habit of keeping polished pieces from school or scribbles hidden in notebooks. One of my favorite ones was this ballad inspired by the Odyssey. I was always an avid lover of Greek mythology and culture. I hope you enjoy this early sample of my writing like I did remembering the experience of it.
This poem is titled: Penelope's Lost Love
Written: 6/29/12
Penelope stood alone at the open window
Knowing her love had sailed away
He didn't want to leave her behind
But Odysseus had no say.
He reached new lands, unexplored by men;
Blood splattered the ground, caused by his blade,
Though his heart was not in his fight,
Thoughts of her kept him strong, his love did not fade.
She wept for days that turned into months
Fearing for the life of her love.
Suitors poured in, seeking her hand,
And to reject them was unheard of.
His victory would be told for generations to come,
But his heart was aching for his wife
He journeyed back, but faced great peril;
His path was lost, he underwent new strife.
Not knowing if her love was homebound,
For him, her eyes lost sight,
But not after completing her quilt,
only working by cover of night.
He survived his journey of ages,
Learned that ten long years passed him by.
Goddess Athena pitied the warrior,
Fashioned a beggar's look for him to lie.
He entered the palace and saw his wife.
She thought she saw a gleam in his eyes,
But her heart did not believe,
And her true love went unrecognized.
How could this be? The old man thought.
He traveled across the sea, and made new enemies,
And instead of being welcomed,
he was shunned; his memory let go with ease.
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