Counterparts

The BWD in 2003
July 8



Fragmentation

Mnemosyne and Kronos:
…everything is worn and withered away by time,
whereas time itself never ages,
but remains immortal because of memory.
–Life of Apollonius of Tyana 1.14




Memosyne harbored her new ideas nine
Safely within her swollen womb divine
Her labour was effortless and bore free of bias
The springs of the musical tongues of Elias

The nine children of remembrance and reason
Each a fountain of wisdom within her season
The knowledge of past, done and spent
as seen thought the widened eyes of present
The mating of reasoning and language use
with the collective power of cloud-wrapped Zeus.

And from these pools of consciousness were born
The sweetly speaking Mousai to be adorned
With gold crown and praise and glory for eons
Each colored and sequenced within their own seasons

It was Memosyne that gave name and designation
To every object for the purpose of conversation
She is attributed the power to call things to memory
And to the remembrance, the faint dim ancestry
Memosyne holds the power that all man possess
And therefore is represented as goddess.

The muses were born in counterpart pairs
Each arm in arm, a purpose to share
The first born, was the speaker, the marquee
And Memosyne chose to name her Calliope
Born along with her, the designator of fame
And mother Memosyne made Clio her name
The older sisters rejoiced having been set free
Knowing advice and counsel would be their glee

Melpomene and Euterpe came next.
Calming energy and emotion vexed
Euterpe supporting Melpomene like the indigo night sky,
supports the moon and stars and galaxies on high
Melpomene motivating Euterpe in intent gallant
To spur her to the vast heights of her own talent

Then came Erato holding Terpsichore
They appeared the same, but opposites at the core
The twins of sexuality and connect
The concepts of intuition and intellect.

Next born were Urania and Thalia, the thriving
Concepts of science and religion, meant to be contriving
And to display in somewhat a spoof
The constant battle between faith and proof

And finally Polyhymnia, who connects with them all
The manna from heaven, whose manner enthralls
With her nurturing qualities and extreme pluck
Always seeing the glass as half full of luck.

The sisters called her little Pollyanna.

(Made you laugh.)