Orpheus and Eurydice

If ever there was, a love so fateful,
A beginning so delightful,
An end , so unpleasant and awful,
It was then, of Orpheus and Eurydice,

It is said that none could resist,
the splendor of the divine notes,
that cropped when his fingers danced,
upon the Lyre's strings,
Orpheus, the son of Apollo and Calliope,
ruled the senses of everything,
the trees,
the winds,
the kings and the beasts,
all would be mesmerized,
by his mellifluous tunes,

The one for whom all elements bowed eternally,
Fell for the grace of Eurydice,
She who's justice broadens universally,

She, who was a classical melange of beauty and allure,

The two were tied in a marital bliss,
But the winds whispered that something was amiss,
As appeared Hymen, to bless the alliance,
his predictions stunned all,
it brought a deafening silence,

"Oh Gods of love, 
grant mercy from above,
this marriage that wears,
a cape of exquisiteness,
is destined to bear,
the blows of frightful consequence...."

The winds ceased,
celebrations died,
hearts were anxious,
The two commenced their wedded stride,

The days passed,
in each other's devotion,
the two were sweetly lost,

One fateful day,
as Eurydice took a stroll,
with the alluring Nymphs,
a shepherd named Aristaeus,
stood enthralled by the beauty,
Of Eurydice,

"Oh what beauty has He made you with,
How do I resist my advance,
Mesmerized I stand,
Adrift in your bloom's trance,
How I wish, to caress your being,
and hold you, in a lover's dance"

Startled and petrified,
Eurydice ran,
unstoppable,
she stepped upon a curved serpentine,
angered by the pain,
it dig its fangs,
bitten and wounded,
The beauteous dame died,

It is said that the souls blessed by the Gods,
swayed in between the life and death,
Orpheus, being the God's son,
knew that his deceased wife,
isn't yet mortified,
Upon Apollo's advice,
The disheartened Orpheus,
tramps towards Hades,

At the frightening and dark Stygian realm,
He passes through numerous souls,
Perhaps the ghosts of the unknown,
Charming the three headed Cerberus,
with his musical enchantment,
Orpheus reaches The God of Hades,
Pluto and  Persephone,
Pleadingly he said,

"Oh ruler of the dwindling souls,
I am bereaved by the end of my very own,
Grant me a drop of forbearance,
Or I must forever end my existence,
I yearn for my beloved Eurydice,
Seeking your clemency,
Acquiesce me my soul's sole peace"


Stirred by a love so fair,
and stung by a fate so rare,
Pluto granted one more life,
to Orpheus' Eurydice,
But nothing great has ever come,
sans its predicament's share,
and so, Pluto declared,

"Eurydice shall follow you,
to the gates,
But there is a condition,
by it you must abide,
Should you look behind,
to see Eurydice,
Before upon you,
the rays of light fall,
You shall lose her forever"

Patience, they say, is a rare possession,
and Orpheus was no exception,

Walking ahead, 
on their final tread,
Orpheus tried to hear,
Eurydice's steps,
Perseverance seemed like a mountain,
Restraint mirrored pain,
Least did he know,
that she walked behind like a shadow,
waiting for the life's gleam,
To become a woman again,

But Orpheus couldn't hear her steps,
who can hear a shadow walk?

Wondering if the Gods have be-fooled him,
He lost his faith in them,
and two steps before the light began,
Orpheus gave in,
to the impatience, and turned around,
Only to see her shadow,
Barreled and thrown midst the dead,
and lost,
forever,

As echoes the Grecian faith,
A mortal can step in Hades,
only once,
and not again,
Until no more,

A soul is seen,
ceaselessly grieving,
mourning the loss,
of his maiden fair,
weeping at the gates,
where the light ends,
and darkness flares............

(c) S.S