|
|
IV. Cleobis and Biton
|
|
Greek myths weave and interweave
like Celtic scrollwork
written on the bodies of once living men
and in the memory of generations
***
from the Argive treasury at Delphi
two and a half millennia ago
this precious load of ancient stony cargo
brothers, lovers, friends
in the old Greek way
this seeming pair of Martians
spooky, stiff
their bodies so earthbound, heavy
they appear to be dragging mother's chariot still
Cleobis is 'famous'
Biton a 'wild ox'
(Robert Graves has told us so)
their mother is All Mankind
and they are Striving
they take the place of oxen
pull the waggon
rough tough sons of Cydippe
priestess of Hera
who, were she not to reach the goddess' shrine on time
would certainly have been slain
(gods and goddesses were cruel then
men no better)
the oxen had wandered off, could not be found
Cleobis and Biton took the yoke
placed it on their shoulders
drew the cart
the sculptures are straightforward to a fault
bug-eyed thick-thighed archaic Greeks with Afro hair
(nothing in the world is ever new)
watched by a sleepy sphinx
Cleobis and Biton
harnessed to mother's chariot
drew her, serenely-sourly smiling, to the shrine
then lapsed into unconsciousness and died -
so the guide book tells us, telling nothing:
we wonder:
is there a moral to this tale?
is it remembrance of some ancient rite
involving human sacrifice?
(only the strongest loveliest and best
is fit to die for the deity -
with virgins, male and female
tastiest of all!)
look at the old Greek text and you will read
how Hera whispered in Cydippe's ear
and with such evil foresight
unforgiving, accepting, relishing all
"Your boys are good, the best of men
ask for them whatever you desire"
and Cydippe "Grant them, Lady
of all earth's luscious fruit the finest"
so Hera, while they slept after their labour
took away their breath and let them die
loved by the gods, only the pure die young
the archon Solon tells us this good news
and I sometimes wonder if he wasn't joking
law-giver, poet, merchant - and a wag!
or was he so utterly solemn he couldn't see
the risible nature of his story's climax?
so there they stand,
the brothers, side by side
with weird Egyptian faces
and big balls
penisless, castrated in course of time
whether with intent or by bad luck
muscle-Marys of the ancient world
with protruding enormous buttocks
like their pornographic counterparts today
blanks on which we write our own reflections
|
Links:
|
|
