After Prometheus taught us what it means to burn but
Before Icarus fell —
Circe learned no magic is enough to make men stay;
Demeter saw her daughter
Engulfed in love’s dark flame and the
Fates upheld their decree —
Going “gently” has never been for the brave.
Hypatia, wise, eschewed it.
Idiots all, we sit slack-
Jawed while
Kings prove themselves
Loathe to love;
Midas’ touch is nothing to be craved.
Narcissus made even Echo fade,
Only giving time of day to his own visage.
Psyche met a happy end through
Queerest circumstance; perhaps
Romance truly is best when least expected.
Still, for us mortals mere, it ends.
Troy falls, Paris dies. We mourn
Until we learn to
Valorize our finitude,
Wipe our eyes, and rejoice in the presence of
Xenia – no matter how short-lived.
You’d be surprised at what you can survive once
Zephyrus shifts the winds.