Behind His Invisible Face
© Surazeus
2025 06 19

Stopping in the woods one warm summer eve,
Narcissus gazes in pool of his heart
to understand weird secret of his soul,
but all he sees are shadows of desire
that flicker with beams of sunlight on water
hidden behind his invisible face.

Tiresias, that beautiful young man
wearing long red robe that priestesses wear,
told me with ominous voice of the sky,
when my father brought me to his dream cave,
that I would live well with wealth and success
if I never get to know my true self.

While gazing at his face in the clear pool,
Narcissus hears sweet voice of a tree nymph
echo among trees in the apple grove,
so he hurries toward heart-enchanting song
to find young woman in red priestess robe
who sings as she weeps with tears of the sky.

Your face reflects with beauty of sunlight
ache of desire that motivates my heart
to understand beast nature of my soul
so I confirm my soul with self-control
to treat you with selfless love of respect
rather than attempt to control your body.

Leaping from shadow of angry despair,
Nemesis grabs young Echo in his arms
and presses sharp knife blade against her throat
as he demands that she accept his love,
but she cries that she rejects him again,
then asks Narcissus for help to escape.

Notching arrow in yew bow of his heart,
Narcissus aims past her beautiful face
and shoots sharp point that kills the angry youth,
then bears sweet Echo in comforting arms
safe to the haven of his temple hall
where he tends her wound and serves healthy food.

Gazing at delicate shape of her face,
eyes gleaming blue as water of the pool,
Narcissus whispers as their soft lips touch,
by looking outward at face of your soul
I understand inner state of my soul,
for I know real me in strangeness of you.

Echo bears child from spirit of Narcissus
who names the beautiful boy for his father,
brave river god Cephissus with green eyes,
so he takes growing son to apple grove
to show him face in mirror of the pool
and explain how to understand himself.

surazeus.blogspot.com/2025/06/…

Orpheus and Ophelia visit Narcissus and Echo at their temple home in the apple grove to drink wine and share stories while their sons Cephissus and Orion play by the pool.

#Poetry #Poem #Pastoral #Necropastoral #MetaModernism #Transrealism #NewSublimity #NewRomanticism #AmericanDream #Cinemism #Existentialism #Surrealism #NegativeCapability #NewGnosticism #MetaRealism #NewTranscendentalism #Astarism