I am Penelope; I am tired.
My fingers ache from 20 years of weaving,
Sitting straight at my distaff and loom.
Each morning I unseal my eyes to the sound
Of your movements across the sea,
Sailing farther and farther and farther
From me and love.
I've slept alone, shivering in an olive bed,
Chained and chaste to its great solid roots,
While you sail, sail to women who love you hard.
Oh, severe mercy of Death!
Why not send me away to brave deeds too?
The greatest punishment is to be left, cold.
Rumors of your conquests slip through old ladies' teeth.
Menacing whispers tickle my ears.
My weaving is done, the unraveling too.
I will weave my own shroud of death.
So, just as I return to a lonely bed each night,
My beloved Odysseus will return to sadness as well.
-Author Unknown
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Penelope Strings Her Bow
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6 comments:
This was a very interesting post - one never thinks about PEnelope's perspective does one? We onlyglorify her acts of sacrifice and unending love for Ulysses!
And you were saying something disparaging about feminists? Hmmmm.... ;-)
Reminds me also of another character Eowyn, from the LOTR series..her complaint was exactly the same.."why not send me away to brave deeds"..well, (at least in theory) women have more choices now :)
[Gee] Thanks. I still do maintain that there is some strand of lesbian conspiracy in the rise of feminism. :)
[Pri] Cant exactly place Eowyn but let me check that out.
The greatest punishment is to be left, cold... Interesting :)
Lesbian Conspiracy?! *Ahem*
[Bonnie] Interesting is an ambigoius word but yeah! I do get your message.
The thing about feminism is in a lighter vein.Sorta bad joke running on Gee baby's "We are Feminists" post.
I think interesting is one of the more versatile words around! :)
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