Valley Of The Muses
© Surazeus
2025 02 12

Hair blowing in brisk mountain winds of faith,
Sariel climbs rugged slopes of Helicon
to ruined Museum, temple of muses,
where no rain has fallen one thousand years,
then sits exhausted among marble pillars
while goats prance among old twisted plum trees.

"I wish to bring them back to life again,
nine charming Muses with their lyres and flutes
gathered around Apollo in round hall
where folk traveled far to hear them perform
songs relating lives of their ancient gods
during the sacred Mouseia festival."

Breathing deep muggy air of solitude
in broad deserted Valley of the Muses,
Sariel gazes at Mount Helicon
that shimmers silently in waves of heat,
while ravens gather in twisted plum trees,
and feels nameless grief well up in his heart.

"I sense hazy shadow of Pegasus
linger near the bubbling Hippocrene spring
where I dip my hands to drink soul of Earth,
liquor which opens eyes inside my heart
so I see nine Muses in flowing gowns
singing before huge crowd of worshippers."

Gazing at his face in clear silver pool,
Sariel grins with amusement of truth
to think Narcissus stood at this same spot
and gazed entranced at beauty of his face
till voice of Echo woke him from false dream
to keep him from drowning in vanity.

"After Narcissus visited this pool,
Tiresias found Athena bathing nude,
and thus received wyrd art of prophecy
because his eyes perceived with reverent awe
divine beauty inherent in her soul,
tended with care by Eupheme and Linus."

Heart aching with fierce passion of insight,
Sariel feels spirit possess his body
so he starts to sing with mercurial voice
tale of Apollo chasing graceful Daphne
till she transforms into the laurel tree
whose leaves crown the greatest singers of tales.

"Though they are long dead, fleeting flames of life
that shone brightly in this valley of music,
their spirits live in me one thousand years
after they danced and sang with eloquence,
so I must sing to keep their art alive
another thousand years of sacred song."

surazeus.blogspot.com/2025/02/…

Orpheus arrives in the crowded Valley of the Muses, eager to participate in the Mouseia where he hopes to win the laurels of Apollo.

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