Achilles
Myth’s river – where his mother
dipped him, fished him, a
slippery golden boy flowed on,
his name on its lips.
dipped him, fished him, a
slippery golden boy flowed on,
his name on its lips.
Without him, it was prophesied,
they would not take Troy.
they would not take Troy.
Women hid him, concealed him
in girls’ sarongs; days of
sweetmeats, spices, silver songs …
in girls’ sarongs; days of
sweetmeats, spices, silver songs …
But when Odysseus came, with an
athlete’s build, a sword and a shield,
he followed him to the battlefield,
the crowd’s roar,
athlete’s build, a sword and a shield,
he followed him to the battlefield,
the crowd’s roar,
And it was sport, not war,
his charmed foot on the ball …
his charmed foot on the ball …
But then his heel, his heel, his heel …
Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy
4 comments:
She covers it all, does Carol Ann Duffy - valiantly, tenderly, inimitably.
Thanks for this, Mary! (How on earth did it find you?)
L, C x
wv. spingb
delicious Mary, Carol Ann Duffy is brilliant
love her poem about the pearls..
There's also an interview with Carol Ann Duffy on the Telegraph's website:
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7692436/Carol-Ann-Duffy-interview.html
- Claire
I love it - no one else collides cultural spheres quite like Duffy!
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