Medea
Author's Note: This is a looong poem about one of my favourite characters
from Greek mythology, Medea. Told from the perspective of Jason (never
thought the day would come!). It's written in a deliberately simple style,
and I hope it doesn't put anyone off. As a side-note perhaps if you're not
familiar with the myth, you might want to skip this one...what am I saying?
I spent a good while writing this! So, if anyone out there wants to read
it, go ahead and enjoy! ;)
-- Medea --
The blazing dawn draws on
And my final hour is near,
If only you were not gone
My lost Medea.
No Judith, Delilah or Allayne
Could inspire such deep fear,
I tremble at times to hear your name
Oh dark Medea.
To think I once touched your hair
And ran my hands through darkness so dear,
And still no woman can compare
With you, Medea.
What sort of strange, sadistic spawn
What god far from here,
Made you a dark, delicious pawn
Of death, Medea?
I wronged you once, I dare to say
And have paid the price in tears
For you have made me mourn each day
I live, Medea.
When I brutally smote your heart
Evil was born from your tear,
And put the blackest of its parts
In you, Medea.
There was no hurt a god could bestow
No wound that did not sear,
As much as the pain and the woe
You inflicted, Medea.
Black eyes reflecting firelight
You did look upon me and sneer
For you had won and I had lost
Every thing, Medea.
How can I forgive you, wife?
You destroyed all I held dear,
All I worked for my whole life
Tumbled down, Medea.
All I had, took a day for you
To destroy in bitter cheer,
And so all I had was given to me (I never knew)
By you, Medea.
Corinth sank like the sun
Blazing with your hate, struck by the spear
Of your wrath; when all was done
Ash remained, Medea.
But by far your greatest crime
One to which not even the gods cannot adhere,
Was the death of two boys, lost to time
Our children, Medea.
In a blaze of glory, your heart torn
You slew them, vengeful seer,
Neither of us can forgive, only mourn
You murderess, Medea.
In our escapades, when our love was but a bud
I desired you most when you would appear,
Swathed and soaked in our enemies' blood
Crimson seductress, Medea.
Now that desire was brutally mocked
In furious scarlet you did jeer,
At my loss, your absolute revenge
Your power, Medea.
Never was there a more sickly sight
One that cannot be forgotten by beer,
Than you, hair ebony as the night,
Blood red, Medea.
In goodbye, your final act
Tore the veil from my eyes unclear,
I recalled how I broke our pact
In foolishness, Medea.
Your final punishment, blaring and raging
The fault is my own, and guilt shall appear
In my dreams forever, as I am ageing
Without you, Medea.
I have hated and I have cursed
'Till my tongue was a black smear,
Yet still my heart is always immersed
In want, Medea.
My fury flares bright, I long
For your blood to shed in good cheer
Given a chance, I would show you
No mercy, Medea.
Your hands are with bitterest blood
Of our sweet children smeared,
If I find you, you shall drown in a flood
Of pain, Medea.
To speak your name is to warrant death
For my disgust is hot and clear,
The one I shall curse with my last breath
Is you, Medea.
Though were I granted my dearest wish
I would shed both blood and tears,
For I would feel sweet joy and bitter anguish
Over you, Medea.
At times my dreams suffer a plague
That does mock me and jeer,
In visions so twisted and vague
I long, Medea.
You still know how to work your magic
For your body I still revere,
And though I find it doubly tragic
I dream, Medea.
In madness you torment me yet again
As I writhe in need and fear,
Fair flesh has felled far better men
Than I, Medea.
You were once so wild, yet so young
All I wanted was you, my dear,
To feel your breath, mouth and tongue
Was paradise, Medea.
Was this a final revenge, a cruel spell
Cast by you, far from here?
That I should despise and want you still; tell!
Answer me, Medea.
Why should I want your ebony hair and fierce eyes
And pale skin, so smooth and clear?
Why should I want the one I truly despise
The most, Medea?
I must be mad to feel such yearning
From this course I wish I could steer
Away from your forge and your burning
Forever fair, Medea.
Your ripe body still excites my own
And I am filled with coarse fear
That bleaches my very bones
And entices, Medea.
Your sorcery still burns me with black fire
Oh demon beneath a fine veneer,
The memories of you and I still ignite desire
And shame, Medea.
I imagine your lips, aching
With a thirst so dark and queer,
Drinking in my kisses and taking
My soul, Medea.
I see you wear that look of saints
That once seemed so sincere,
That hides the hungry beast that waits
In you, Medea.
Were I to wake in your bed
Would I rejoice and hold you near,
Or gladly smother you instead
Which one, Medea?
There is blood between us
And the penalty of reunion is severe,
We would murder one another, in hate and lust
Unhappy forever, Medea.
I recall you innocent, years back
A woman to revere,
Was it I who painted black
Your heart, Medea?
You vanished into the dark
Pulled by dragons, as the gods leer
Upon us, trapped in hate, without a spark
Of light, Medea.
Where are you now, my love?
Does your heart grieve and shed many a tear
Over the past and do you dream of
Our family, Medea?
I wonder, almost each day and night
Where do you now dwell, on another frontier
Do you regret as I regret the loss of your light?
I do, Medea.
Yet I have been doubly dealt
A blow so severe
I was foolish and selfish and have felt
No peace, Medea.
By all the gods of Olympus Mountain
To hold true to you always, I did adhere,
This vow I broke, shattering our bargain
And you, Medea.
And despite all my pained uproars
I have always known a truth so severe,
That 'twas as much my fault as yours
It hurts, Medea.
All that I have lost, all that you stole
The end of my heroic career,
The years taken their black toll
Missing you, Medea.
Ah! That is your curse – the worst of it!
It is the thing most confoundingly unclear!
Why do I miss your words, your smile, your wit
Your love, Medea?
It would be so simple to fall into despair
And regret your love lost, gone far from here,
But I hate too bitterly and could not bear
To forgive, Medea.
I love you still, yet I hate much more
And miss you still, my dear,
But for my future and the children you tore
I hate Medea.
But the want still lingers, ever potent
Wanting only your sighs to hear,
Consumed by wretchedness ever-poignant
I howl, Medea.
I miss using your hair as a pillow
Your sleeping limbs, your secret sneer,
All lost to me, since the girl with hair of yellow
Tempted me, Medea.
Into madness I must plunge utterly
For it is a cost too dear,
To bear these battling feelings for thee
Is torture, Medea.
All the solace my damaged mind begets
That spares me from hate and fear,
Is that you suffer similar regrets
And tumult, Medea.
Do you still burn with bitter flames
And flames of spent desire that some nights appear?
I pray you do, and that they bring you shame
And loss, Medea.
The only woman I ever loved, my deadly wife
The only enemy I truly hated and feared,
The only one worth knowing in this life
Was you, Medea.
Were you to hear such words
You would hate me all the more, my dear,
And your thoughts would fly away like birds
From me, Medea.
Devoured by gnawing fury
And loss that shall never clear
I, Jason Oathbreaker, will end it – surely
You laugh, Medea?
Death lies heavy in my eyes
The fate of a hero insincere,
I shall end my life of lies
And die, Medea.
I die by the blessed prow of the Argo
That took me to your frontier,
And returned with bloody cargo
My wife, Medea.
Would you flourish in delight
Or will you shed a tear?
I care not, for this night,
I end, Medea.
Will this glad, dark news sustain
Your fiendish life, or will not mere
Joy in your heart reign
After death, Medea.
Will you feast upon my blood
And devour me with cheer?
Will you dance and cover me in mud,
Or weep, Medea?
The hangman's rope shall take me
And leave you for many a year,
Forget hate in death, and look at the sea
Remembering Jason, Medea.
After death, your end will start
And I shall wait forever here,
Perhaps to someday tear you apart
Or forgive, Medea.
You think you've seen the last of me
Your husband unrevered,
But mine will be a face you see
In dreams, Medea.
We were once so bound in one another, in love true
Now, I see you in visions and peer,
When our affinity grows slack, will you
Feel it, Medea?
-- End --
Author's Note: This is a looong poem about one of my favourite characters
from Greek mythology, Medea. Told from the perspective of Jason (never
thought the day would come!). It's written in a deliberately simple style,
and I hope it doesn't put anyone off. As a side-note perhaps if you're not
familiar with the myth, you might want to skip this one...what am I saying?
I spent a good while writing this! So, if anyone out there wants to read
it, go ahead and enjoy! ;)
-- Medea --
The blazing dawn draws on
And my final hour is near,
If only you were not gone
My lost Medea.
No Judith, Delilah or Allayne
Could inspire such deep fear,
I tremble at times to hear your name
Oh dark Medea.
To think I once touched your hair
And ran my hands through darkness so dear,
And still no woman can compare
With you, Medea.
What sort of strange, sadistic spawn
What god far from here,
Made you a dark, delicious pawn
Of death, Medea?
I wronged you once, I dare to say
And have paid the price in tears
For you have made me mourn each day
I live, Medea.
When I brutally smote your heart
Evil was born from your tear,
And put the blackest of its parts
In you, Medea.
There was no hurt a god could bestow
No wound that did not sear,
As much as the pain and the woe
You inflicted, Medea.
Black eyes reflecting firelight
You did look upon me and sneer
For you had won and I had lost
Every thing, Medea.
How can I forgive you, wife?
You destroyed all I held dear,
All I worked for my whole life
Tumbled down, Medea.
All I had, took a day for you
To destroy in bitter cheer,
And so all I had was given to me (I never knew)
By you, Medea.
Corinth sank like the sun
Blazing with your hate, struck by the spear
Of your wrath; when all was done
Ash remained, Medea.
But by far your greatest crime
One to which not even the gods cannot adhere,
Was the death of two boys, lost to time
Our children, Medea.
In a blaze of glory, your heart torn
You slew them, vengeful seer,
Neither of us can forgive, only mourn
You murderess, Medea.
In our escapades, when our love was but a bud
I desired you most when you would appear,
Swathed and soaked in our enemies' blood
Crimson seductress, Medea.
Now that desire was brutally mocked
In furious scarlet you did jeer,
At my loss, your absolute revenge
Your power, Medea.
Never was there a more sickly sight
One that cannot be forgotten by beer,
Than you, hair ebony as the night,
Blood red, Medea.
In goodbye, your final act
Tore the veil from my eyes unclear,
I recalled how I broke our pact
In foolishness, Medea.
Your final punishment, blaring and raging
The fault is my own, and guilt shall appear
In my dreams forever, as I am ageing
Without you, Medea.
I have hated and I have cursed
'Till my tongue was a black smear,
Yet still my heart is always immersed
In want, Medea.
My fury flares bright, I long
For your blood to shed in good cheer
Given a chance, I would show you
No mercy, Medea.
Your hands are with bitterest blood
Of our sweet children smeared,
If I find you, you shall drown in a flood
Of pain, Medea.
To speak your name is to warrant death
For my disgust is hot and clear,
The one I shall curse with my last breath
Is you, Medea.
Though were I granted my dearest wish
I would shed both blood and tears,
For I would feel sweet joy and bitter anguish
Over you, Medea.
At times my dreams suffer a plague
That does mock me and jeer,
In visions so twisted and vague
I long, Medea.
You still know how to work your magic
For your body I still revere,
And though I find it doubly tragic
I dream, Medea.
In madness you torment me yet again
As I writhe in need and fear,
Fair flesh has felled far better men
Than I, Medea.
You were once so wild, yet so young
All I wanted was you, my dear,
To feel your breath, mouth and tongue
Was paradise, Medea.
Was this a final revenge, a cruel spell
Cast by you, far from here?
That I should despise and want you still; tell!
Answer me, Medea.
Why should I want your ebony hair and fierce eyes
And pale skin, so smooth and clear?
Why should I want the one I truly despise
The most, Medea?
I must be mad to feel such yearning
From this course I wish I could steer
Away from your forge and your burning
Forever fair, Medea.
Your ripe body still excites my own
And I am filled with coarse fear
That bleaches my very bones
And entices, Medea.
Your sorcery still burns me with black fire
Oh demon beneath a fine veneer,
The memories of you and I still ignite desire
And shame, Medea.
I imagine your lips, aching
With a thirst so dark and queer,
Drinking in my kisses and taking
My soul, Medea.
I see you wear that look of saints
That once seemed so sincere,
That hides the hungry beast that waits
In you, Medea.
Were I to wake in your bed
Would I rejoice and hold you near,
Or gladly smother you instead
Which one, Medea?
There is blood between us
And the penalty of reunion is severe,
We would murder one another, in hate and lust
Unhappy forever, Medea.
I recall you innocent, years back
A woman to revere,
Was it I who painted black
Your heart, Medea?
You vanished into the dark
Pulled by dragons, as the gods leer
Upon us, trapped in hate, without a spark
Of light, Medea.
Where are you now, my love?
Does your heart grieve and shed many a tear
Over the past and do you dream of
Our family, Medea?
I wonder, almost each day and night
Where do you now dwell, on another frontier
Do you regret as I regret the loss of your light?
I do, Medea.
Yet I have been doubly dealt
A blow so severe
I was foolish and selfish and have felt
No peace, Medea.
By all the gods of Olympus Mountain
To hold true to you always, I did adhere,
This vow I broke, shattering our bargain
And you, Medea.
And despite all my pained uproars
I have always known a truth so severe,
That 'twas as much my fault as yours
It hurts, Medea.
All that I have lost, all that you stole
The end of my heroic career,
The years taken their black toll
Missing you, Medea.
Ah! That is your curse – the worst of it!
It is the thing most confoundingly unclear!
Why do I miss your words, your smile, your wit
Your love, Medea?
It would be so simple to fall into despair
And regret your love lost, gone far from here,
But I hate too bitterly and could not bear
To forgive, Medea.
I love you still, yet I hate much more
And miss you still, my dear,
But for my future and the children you tore
I hate Medea.
But the want still lingers, ever potent
Wanting only your sighs to hear,
Consumed by wretchedness ever-poignant
I howl, Medea.
I miss using your hair as a pillow
Your sleeping limbs, your secret sneer,
All lost to me, since the girl with hair of yellow
Tempted me, Medea.
Into madness I must plunge utterly
For it is a cost too dear,
To bear these battling feelings for thee
Is torture, Medea.
All the solace my damaged mind begets
That spares me from hate and fear,
Is that you suffer similar regrets
And tumult, Medea.
Do you still burn with bitter flames
And flames of spent desire that some nights appear?
I pray you do, and that they bring you shame
And loss, Medea.
The only woman I ever loved, my deadly wife
The only enemy I truly hated and feared,
The only one worth knowing in this life
Was you, Medea.
Were you to hear such words
You would hate me all the more, my dear,
And your thoughts would fly away like birds
From me, Medea.
Devoured by gnawing fury
And loss that shall never clear
I, Jason Oathbreaker, will end it – surely
You laugh, Medea?
Death lies heavy in my eyes
The fate of a hero insincere,
I shall end my life of lies
And die, Medea.
I die by the blessed prow of the Argo
That took me to your frontier,
And returned with bloody cargo
My wife, Medea.
Would you flourish in delight
Or will you shed a tear?
I care not, for this night,
I end, Medea.
Will this glad, dark news sustain
Your fiendish life, or will not mere
Joy in your heart reign
After death, Medea.
Will you feast upon my blood
And devour me with cheer?
Will you dance and cover me in mud,
Or weep, Medea?
The hangman's rope shall take me
And leave you for many a year,
Forget hate in death, and look at the sea
Remembering Jason, Medea.
After death, your end will start
And I shall wait forever here,
Perhaps to someday tear you apart
Or forgive, Medea.
You think you've seen the last of me
Your husband unrevered,
But mine will be a face you see
In dreams, Medea.
We were once so bound in one another, in love true
Now, I see you in visions and peer,
When our affinity grows slack, will you
Feel it, Medea?
-- End --