The Ship of Theseus
They say you can lead a horse to water,
but never prepare you for when they start to drown.
I only knew you were thirsty.
Yet even the tamest of leads could not quench that of a liquid hunger.
Cracking a whip only inflicts burns more scalding than tea;
and I left with nothing but sutures.
I only knew you were thirsty.
Instead, I will mend the gennaker.
As the siren’s song beckons the Great Odysseus to her shore;
and their dangers rip wax from the ears of mortal men,
pulling them down under.
I only knew you were thirsty.
Allow me to choke on Neptune’s hydrogen air.
Let Poseidon and Notos beckon with greater gods,
electrifying life toward its future.
Fill my lungs with sweet, liquid despair,
beg Apollo so that he may warm Europa yet never lessen her,
and allow the Ship of Theseus to sail once more.
I only knew you were thirsty.
So let me drown.
Posted Apr 30, 2022, 2:12 AM UTC · edited
I like the references to Greek Gods. It makes you feel slightly smaller and amplifies the main characters feeling of guilt and insignificance. The repetition of the line "I only knew you were thirsty." I got that the main character tried to help someone but it went horribly wrong and know they feel guilty and think they deserve to die. They want to die. Great poem.
The thing I love about art is the beauty of finding deeper and often darker interpretations. I clung to various imageries of water and greek myth to artistically/structurally tie in the philosophy behind the Ship of Theseus! The work begins referencing the author trying to help an individual only for them to drown. As it breaks down the various methods of that anguish occuring , it rebuilds ending with the author's plea to keep trying anyway. Even if they now are "the horse that drowns" because they now are prepared for what it is, and were always one to begin with.Given the lesson behind the philosophical question itself, it also implies the poem is about two different people who needed to break apart in different ways in order to regain a mutually shared state of being and comfort. Even if that looks uncomfortable to others.Thank you so much for the reply! I am happy that you were able to empathize with the pain of trying at the level you have <3