This is an unusual feeling for a bibliophile
Usually piles of them make me smile
But now it feels like I’m drowning in books
Astray in a quagmire, kept on tethering hooksDiscombobulated, bewildered and confused
Trying to expound and elucidate ancient literature
Learning to unravel the ineffable mystery
To fathom allegories and tropes of poetryOh, the surprises
awaiting those following the path of civilizations sunrises
Oh, the sorrow
when advised to disavow love like Trumbull’s sparrow
Oh, the disgust
when you feel words and language are nothing to trust
Oh, the fear
when you imagine raping Zeus or avenging Furies are near
Oh, the joy
to dream yourself on Lesbos or in TroySuch is the power of thoughtfully chosen words and rhythmic rhymes
©RedCat
To be read and remembered for all of time
An attempt to capture the elation, confusion and disquiet of myself and several of my classmates embarking on the adventure of Comparative Literature.
Image credits:
Photo by Eugenio Mazzone on Unsplash
Photo by Vasily Ledovsky on Unsplash
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Also shared to tonight’s OpenLinkNight #345 at dVerse.
The world according to RedCat 
Hope you find a lifeline in an ocean of words… beautifully penned poem.
I can relate to this feeling, don’t give up on the journey of unraveling literature’s mysteries.
So many mysteries await between the pages of books!
How exciting for those wanting to get lost in the stories of these books.
Well done. It is interesting how words grab us and stay with us forever.
Atsalotta books — and a super write. 🙂✌🏼
All those books, and there is always a choice to be made… for many years I stopped reading but am now trying to start again.
I love the shape and form of this poem – the solid opening stanzas and then the short and long, like a toppling pile of books! I am happy to drown in a pile of books, as long as I can read them first. However, I remember the feeling well on the day I was faced with the book list for my literature degree, especially Old German and Middle English. I love the phrase ‘following the path of civilizations sunrises’, and the final rhyming couplet reminds me a little of a Shakespearean sonnet.
Perhaps a daunting–but also, a wonderful journey through literature!
So many books….so little time. I have a hard time getting rid of a one, even if I’ll never read it again. Comparative literature….hmm sounds lovely!