literature

Regret: Hephaestus

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Literature Text

"... heat it. Beat it. Hammer out the dross.
... shape the ore for warriors young and bold.
And though my forge runs hot, my heart is cold.
... bind and beat. ... hammer out my loss.

My brother's armies are provided for
with sharpened sword and spear. ... bring to life
his toys of war and still he steals my wife?"
Then temper flared and lame Hephaestus roared,

"I'll bind and beat my brother's worthless hide!
And faithless Aprhodite - " Here the lame
god faltered, anger turned to lust and shame.
He stroked her naked skin by fireside,

and wished a hundredth time he'd never wed
the goddess of a thousand busy beds.
The third in my Regret series of sonnets. In this one, H has just caught Ares and Aphrodite in his magic net. He's slow of mind and speech, tho not stupid. He's just as trapped by his marriage as A&A are by his net.

I tried intentionally to leave out occasional syllables that would normally fill out the iambic pentameter lines here, hoping it might sound a bit like slow-talking, slow-thinking, but powerful persona who has a low sense of self.
© 2006 - 2024 themapper
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Lady-Domino's avatar
I love this series - so powerful, and really awesome to see all their points of view! I really think you've captured them although I don't know how much Hephaestus would ever regret having Aphrodite - in the Iliad when he's trapped them he tells Zeus he wants his marriage gifts returned because she's been unfaithful, but never suggests he regrets marrying her - I guess any man would put up with her for a chance to be her husband :P