Cassandra's Dirge

CASSANDRA'S DIRGE


She sits alone within the dark, the only friend she knows.
The only friend she'll ever find, lurks in the shadows of her mind
and brings her only woes!
She wishes she could close her eyes but knows too well her curse.
And so she sits in darkened bower, high in a sequestered tower
bringing lips to purse.

Cassandra!  Oh to be again the simple happy girl!
To walk about her city fair, and feel the eyes of men who stare
and think her such a pearl.
Thus did Apollo find her then, a pearl beside the sea;
and granted her a gift so rare, a gift by any standard fair,
the sight of "yet to be"!

And all within a moments breath new vision takes her hand.
The fighting soldiers 'neath the walls; the fires coursing through the halls,
as war consumes the land!
Just then Apollo breaks the spell and bends to take her kiss-
Cassandra, from His lips and spell recoils now with a fearful yell
refusing Him His bliss.

'Tis one thing to rebuff advances from a mortal hand.
Rebuffing love though from The Sun- refusing Him His earthly fun
brings her a crueler brand:
"Thou shalt retain my gift girl, of Tomorrows in thine ken.
But having so refused my kiss, instead of love I gift you this:
The ridicule of Men."

With this pronouncement did the Sun God leave her at the shore,
loved and lost-  both cursed and blessed; never more to know true rest
in this life evermore...
She did not go down quietly, a leaf in tempest's blast-
She gave embrace unto her sight 'tho all it showed was death and blight
in sallowed pallor cast.

But all in vain.  Her warnings brought her only vile rebuff.
And even Priam, father dear, would smile but still refuse to hear.
At last she cried, "Enough!
I only bring you what will be, tomorrow, here today!
But Troy prefers reviling me- you laugh and piss yourselves in glee!
Enough of this, I say."

She sits alone within her hall, and sees tomorrow's hell.
Greeks in the city, hewing strife!  Laying death about them, rife
the city's dying knell!
She sees the  Trophy, knows its purpose, standing false and drear,
as fools and princes drunk with pride and wine do drag their death inside,
and still she has no tear.

She knows her city's dying breath as flames engulf the halls.
She sees the piercing of its soul, with no more will to pay the toll
as babes are thrown from walls.
'Tis finished now.  Save for the wails of High Born turned to slaves.
Yet one last vision does she see:  Two deaths in far-off Mycenae.
She smiles and greets the waves!


Mycenae is pronounced, my-cee-nee
According to myth, Cassandra was taken after the fall of Troy as concubine of Agamemnon, back to Mycenae.  Supposedly, she foresaw her own murder, as well as Agamemnon's, by his Queen and wife, Clytemnestra!