Cassandra

Leaves flutter on their branches like hands reaching out

Every twitch, every effort, desperate motions in pain

Flailing, crying out, do you hear them, do you hear them?

Sobbing and screaming for far away rain

And the road, winding slowly, like a rapid old river

Weaving and seething and twisting springs forth

And it's rushing, it's moving, don't you see it, don't you see it?

As it babbles and rushes South to North

And the sky, bending, falling, collapsing around us

Imploding on to the endless, oblivious life below

The blue waves of infinity, don't you feel it, don't you feel it?

And it screams in my mind, won't it slow?

And cracks appear in the pavement around me

From them tongues of flame threaten to burst

Grasping to drag me down further to Hell

Brimming with tortured and eternal thirst

And the devil sits far away, on the horizon

Waiting, impatient, for the dim glow of dawn

 His claws poised, his teeth bared, for the ruin of humanity

Every doomed soul a worthless new pawn

But my screams will attract no attention

Oh please! Won't they hear my pleading!

Not one of them will even spare a glance for me

Don't they see where the devious night's leading?

And I stand, on this doomed Earth in silence

Head bowed, ready for my execution

For I wait, the cold air like a pillow to my face

Before the dawn comes bearing panic and confusion 

I can see the fires raging now!

As the devil stands before us

And the flames of hell swelter and blister ruined earth

As he cracks his whip

And we bow

Reviews

[Rick Puetter]

Interesting poem, and I like the internal repeating of the third line in the first 3 stanzas. Sort of missed that when it went away in stanza 4. And I like the title and what it suggests, the prophetess, who is given the gift of prophesy by Apollo and then is cursed never the be believed when she rejects the god. And here no one heeds your warning of pending doom, just as Cassandra reached the peak of her madness as she stood outside the burning city of Troy.

I enjoyed this a lot. High marks.

Best regards,

Rick

[The Hampstead Poet]

Thank you for your review, I'm glad you enjoyed this poem. Yes, I would have liked to carry on the third line in the first three stanzas, as it was an expression of her growing insanity as no one would listen to her prophecies of doom. She hears voices crying out, and sees the earth burning, but no one will listen. This was a myth that affected me quite deeply. The thought of an innocent girl cursed by the god Apollo to the point of insanity just because she refused him always horrified me. I think the story is one of the darkest expressions of greed and revenge in human nature, reflected in the much imperfect gods. Perhaps a reflection and a warning against that dark part in ourselves. Thank you for your kind review.
My very best to you as well!