I can remember my future

“I can remember my future” is an experiment. I’ve broken with my usual form of rhyming couplets and come up with a jaunty limerick-style structure that seems to work. The first verse popped into my head that way, fully formed. The rest of the poem took many visits over quite a number of days.

In order to understand this poem, it helps to have a basic knowledge of the Greek myth of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur in the labyrinth. So here goes:

Minos (King of Crete) had a labyrinth built to house a Minotaur. The labyrinth was famous for being unnavigable; once in, anyone who entered was doomed to be eaten by the Minotaur.

Minos had recently conquered Athens, and he demanded as tribute that every year Athens would send seven maidens and seven youths to be sacrificed to the minotaur.

Theseus (son of King Aegeus of Athens) volunteered to join the band of youths who were to be sacrificed. He travelled to Crete, and as soon as he arrived, Ariadne (King Minos' daughter) fell in love with him.

Ariadne offered to help Theseus conquer the labyrinth and kill the minotaur. Ariadne gave him a ball of red thread, and Theseus unrolled it as he penetrated the labyrinth, which allowed him to find his way back out.

He found the minotaur deep in the recesses of the labyrinth, killed it with his sword, and followed the thread back to the entrance.

Now go to the ‘Works’ link and read on…