Echoes & Reflections
This poem offers a reimagining of Echo and Narcissus through quiet reflection and mythic symbolism. It focuses on the inner lives of both figures, their longing, their misunderstandings, and the way their stories mirror themes of identity, empathy, and self-awareness.
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Celebrated was Narcissus, adorned with gold woven locks,
His elegant frame chiseled by the finest of rocks.
Seed of Cephissus, Liriope’s pride, known worldwide,
Fated with the melodious Echo, whose green eyes he made cried.
Neither empowered with redemption, merely cautionary tales,
The unrequited and self-obsessed, but what if etiquette prevailed?
A fleeting smile from Narcissus would ease fair Echo’s despair,
Whose voice was angelic, sonorous without compare.
Here, on this muddy path where damp leaves lay,
With Dryad laughter reverberating the foliage to sway.
The Oread, complexion milky white, crouched in a sun-kissed grove,
The hunter, oblivious that Juno had stolen Echo’s voice from above.
By divine whim, the purple-clad gods also wove the fabric of Narcissus’s fate,
Nemesis, in the shadows, compelled the alluring youth to self-inflate.
This kosmos, a ruthless one with mercurial shape-shifting gods,
Who maltreated humanity’s doe-eyed innocence, perennially at odds.
Mortals simply yearning for their dividend of ambrosial joys,
Instead, the Olympians exploited and discarded The Hellenic denizens like a whelp’s wet mangled toys.
Yet, sealed in the winding labyrinth of Narcissus is a regard for others,
A glowing gilded flower bloomed to symbolize what was covered.
Rose-cheeked Echo regained her voice, sweet as divine nectar,
Now liberated from the speechless hex, allowing her spirit to soar freer.
Mindful, they became immersed in the golden glow of the afternoon sun,
They bathed in unison in the deep, serene azure of the still and calm lagoon.
Gazing at novel possibilities in this shining pool of liquid glass,
An infinite reflection of parallels that evolved to their eyeglass.
Glimpsing from yesteryear what was previously blurred,
A glowing fondness for their human progenitors emerged.
Now, able to perceive the velvet cloak that is the cosmos,
Their souls redeemed, no longer opposed.
Sharing communion in this secluded garden
Of emerald and amber hues, begins their stardom.
The domed firmament erupts as glistening rainwater gushes fleetly,
Flowing freely, an opportune moment to rendezvous discreetly.
Emancipated from their free fall into the pit of eternal damnation,
Ignited like a phoenix, fueled by temptation and imagination.
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Footnotes
Narcissus: In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a youth renowned for his beauty who fell in love with his own reflection and perished because of it. He represents vanity and self-obsession.
Cephissus and Liriope: Narcissus’s parents. Cephissus, a river god, and Liriope, a nymph. Their story sets the stage for Narcissus’s tragic life.
Echo: A mountain nymph cursed by Hera to only repeat the words of others. She fell unrequitedly in love with Narcissus, embodying the theme of unreturned love.
Dryad: Tree nymphs in Greek mythology, representing the poem’s deep connection to nature and the natural world’s witness to the unfolding drama.
Juno (Hera): The Roman name for Hera, the queen of the gods. She cursed Echo for distracting her as Zeus engaged in affairs.
Nemesis: The goddess of retribution, who led Narcissus to his reflective doom as punishment for his vanity.
Kosmos: Greek for order, beauty, or the world, referring to the ordered universe and the gods’ capricious role within it.
Ambrosial joys: Refers to the divine pleasures and delights that mortals seek, “ambrosia” being the food of the gods.