I am Penthos (Grief)

I am the way into the doleful city, I am the way into eternal grief, I am the way to a forsaken race. Dantes Inferno.

Angel of grief, a 1894 sculpture by William Wetmore Story which serves as the grave stone of the artist and his wife Emelyn at the Protestant Cemetery, Rome. Photograph by Alessio Damato (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Alejo2083). This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

 

 

I am Penthos¹ (Grief)

 

"I am the way into the doleful city, I am the way into eternal grief,

I am the way to a forsaken race...Abandon all hope, ye who enter

here."  -- Dante’s Inferno. 

 

 

Recollection has paled.

When did I arise?

In ages dim, I think.

But I awoke with Man.

The Greeks did first name Me.

But I was here before then.

In darker ages I arose.

In deeper mists I was formed.

I remember not,

But now I am here.

 

 

...And here I live and feed on Man!

 

 

I burst full formed onto Life.

I am Penthos.

I am the despair that men fear.

I am grief.

I am utter abandonment of hope.

 

I am worse than death,

For I give no mercy.

I am relentless.

I revel in despair and wailing.

Sweet is the sound of gnashing teeth.

Sweet are the sounds of beaten breast,

The palpitations of unending pain.

 

I am death without release.

I am suffering without recourse.

I am pain without redress.

I wallow in utter ruin to person,

Dissolution of hope and humanity,

Reduction to hovelling mass,

Ruination for ruination’s sake,

Beyond any hope of reprieve.

 

I AM GRIEF!

And I cannot be defeated.

 

I have crossed the river Acheron

And walked the circles of hell,

Sucking marrow from bones of men.

I make men hollow.

This is to my liking.

Hopelessness sweetens the meat!

Despair sings to Me.

It beckons “Satisfy your hunger!”

And I feast.

 

But bring not hope!

Bring not love.

Bring not that which lifts the Spirit.

I like them not!

Love’s hope, it burns Me.

Bring not that which harms Me,

That which pushes back my darkness.

 

Still, Man is weak.

Many have tried to contain Me,

Many to defeat Me.

But my power is old.

I cannot be vanquished.

 

I am your own.

I live in your fears.

I thrive through heartbreak,

And human condition.

You can’t dismiss Me,

For I am within you.

I am part of your soul.

You have fashioned Me

And I am fully yours.

 

I am Penthos,

Last of the gods to answer Zeus.

Through world of Man I roam,

Suckling on Man’s weakness.

 

For I am GRIEF,

And in life you cannot escape Me.

 

 

 

 

©2009, Richard Puetter

All rights reserved

 

Notes

 

^[1]Penthos is the greek god of grief. He was the last god to answer the call of Zeus when Zeus was appointing responsibilities to the gods and so only grief and despair were left when Penthos arrived.

Reviews

[The Hampstead Poet]

Superb! This poem shows such a complete understanding of Grief, one of the rawest emotions that can be felt. It is true, that in any life Grief cannot be avoided. I love especially that you personified this, and referenced it to the Greek myth of Penthos. It just enforces the feeling of how inescapable it is, and how deeply tangible it can be. An awe-inspiring write, thank you.

[Kerry]

In death there is mercy. Like some great hulking beast grief stalks us, lingering in the darkest corners. First - love the image you chose to accompany this piece. It is a fitting tribute.

"And walked the circles of hell,
Sucking marrow from bones of men."

The imagery there as in the rest of the poem, is wonderful. It carries the reader through the rising tide of emotion and on to final, eternal suffering. Well done!

[Salvatore Buttaci]

Congratulations for winning the Shadow-of-the-gods contest!

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

Congrats a second time on your great winning poem!

[Ellen Hammond]

Wow!! This is so captivating. You have expressed the very essence of grief in this very interesting write. You very well could make a lover of free verse out of me yet, as this may not rhyme but it flows seamlessly perhaps due to the frequent use of "I am". You are a man with many facets and talents. I really enjoyed this read which is sad but hopeful at the same time.

[Tate Morgan]

very good

[Salvatore Buttaci]

Well done, Rick! Pentos shadows our every step, but one tomorrow we'll walk Crystal City streets and he'll be nowhere to be found! Keep up the great poetry, my poet friend.

[emmajoy]

'Grief exceeds all human understanding' .. or did, until I read this.

What magnificent writing, Rick. With quite simple language you've adventured and contemplated the deepest of all cruel emotions. Grief does eat the very heart and spirit of a person; in its time it spreads through body and mind like a disease and there's no cure - it can kill, it can maim, : 'I am worse than death, ~ For I give no mercy. ~ I am relentless.'

I wonder if there's a shade of conflict between the following two pairs of lines? 'Beware my ever-presence, Lest you fall to me forever. ' ' For I am GRIEF, And in life you cannot escape Me.' In the first couplet you almost hint - 'lest' - that it's possible to escape .. or have I misinterpreted there?

Do you realise that whilst you're telling the un-human tale of Penthos, you're actually giving hope? People might be unaware of its insatiable, vicious appetite but knowing about it, can give strength - of course not for all, but at least for some. I actually leave this page feeling more at peace than I did when I gently knocked and began to read.

Your writing is exceptional, you introduce new subjects , you make people think and feel. Thank you.

[Brianna Brie]

Wow...this is a powerful writing. Oh, ever so do I know this grief of which you speak. Funny thing though the more and more I read of it the more empowered I became. Something rose up inside of me and said oh no you don't! You shall not consume me and have the better of me. I am a fighter, a survivor and grief will only refine me. It will never destroy me. So, thanks for kicking my butt into action! Superb write! Love how you made the grief come alive as if it where a person with a driven purpose.

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

Congrats on your sad, but beautiful piece!

[Salvatore Buttaci]

Congratulations for winning the morning-poems contest!