1100. Hercules, son of Zeus

a narrative poem based on the myths of Hercules.

In the cradle of Olympus, where shadows dance,  

A hero was born, wrapped in fate’s embrace,  

Hercules, son of Zeus, a demi-god,  

With strength like thunder, yet heart of flesh.  

His cries echoed through the halls of time,  

A child of two worlds, but destined for one,  

A burden of glory, a journey to claim,  

The Twelve Labors, his mythic refrain.  

First, the lion of Nemea, fierce and proud,  

With claws like daggers, its roar a storm,  

He wrestled the beast, bare hands against fate,  

And wore its skin as a cloak of triumph.  

Next, the hydra, a serpent of doom,  

With heads that multiplied, a puzzle of dread,  

He scorched its necks, with fire and cunning,  

Each severed head a tale of resilience.  

The stables of Augeas, a mountain of muck,  

He turned the tide with rivers’ embrace,  

A cleansing of chaos, a labor of heart,  

Transforming the filth into fertile grace.  

Through trials and trials, his spirit was forged,  

A tapestry woven with threads of the gods,  

Yet sorrow wrapped around him, a haunting refrain,  

For love and betrayal walked hand in hand.  

Deianira, a heart tethered to fate,  

A gift of a tunic, a web of despair,  

Innocence lost, love twisted by pain,  

A hero brought low, by the whims of the heart.  

Yet in his ashes, a phoenix arose,  

For strength is not merely the weight of the world,  

It’s the heart that endures through the darkest of nights,  

A legacy carved in the stars above.  

So sing, O Muse, of Hercules’ tale,  

Of his trials and triumphs, of love’s cruel game,  

In every shadow, a flicker of light,  

A reminder that valor is forged in the flame.