Odysseus Undone

By Arya Utsa Varma

Posted on December 1, 2023

Cover Image Title: Odysseus

Cover Image by: Vi Jha

Classification: Digital Art

Specifications: Resized from 4096 px X 4096 px

Year: 2023

Location: Florida, U.S.A.

I took a stroll down Caesar’s lane

And seized the reins of Rome,

I flew so high on wings of wax

And called the sun my home.

And maybe I was foolish, then

To weave a web so fine

That Athena, on her bed of cloud

Would challenge works of mine.

With white sails up, I drifted off,

I swore I’d sail back home,

But I let myself be swept to shore

By Calypso’s honeyed tone.

She pulled me in with siren’s songs

And grabbed me by the tie

Her voice was but the soft sea foam

And the whistling wind passing by.

Sweet and low, she sang to me

And I knew I’d never set off,

For Ithaca’s shores were dull and grey

And Ogygia’s sands so soft.

So I’ll take a boat down the River Styx

For I’ve no tears to cry;

Of all the words I spin and weave,

I shall not weave “goodbye.”

I know of no Penelope,

No Trojan War, nor Horse,

The hands of Time that shape this world

Will let history run its course.

The augur’s birds flew out of sight,

The Odyssey was a lie,

For Ogygia is where I call home,

Just the waves, Calypso, and I.

Description:

The Odyssey has been a timeless classic since the era of Homer, and the travels of Odysseus have seeped into modern popular culture everywhere. But what if the Greco-Roman world was just a bit different? Let's take some creative liberty with mythology and history...

[ * The End * ]

[Writing Editor: An anonymous contributor]