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Atropos' Witness
July 16, 2016
He saw the string edge backwards,
arrow thread across the sky
Time seemed to slow
He seemed to know
its quiver in his heart was...
He was skewered with wide eyes.
© Katrina D., Shelby Township, MI
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This article has 3 comments.
Wow! I love how, in so few words, you address the powerful theme of fate. The careful choice of diction (i.e. "Arrow thread") cultivates poignant imagery while simultaneously prompting readers to connect the poem to mythology, and as a result, to the question being posed. I especially love the ellipses after "it's quiver in his heart was". Beautiful use of literary device throughout, beautiful writing all around. You truly have a poet's intentional, yet lyrical voice. I look forward to reading more from you!
In Greek mythology, the three Fates controlled every mortal's destiny. The first fate, Clotho, spun the thread of life; the second, Lachesis, measured it; the third, Atropos, cut the thread, thereby choosing the time and circumstance of a person's death.
In this poem, the man can see an arrow heading straight for his heart, yet he does not move away. Was his death inevitable, fated from the start? Or, because he was conscious of the arrow's trajectory, is he responsible for his own demise?