#hellenic poetry

[nixthepolytheist]

Our noisy, boisterous Dionysus. Whom I love to share the joy of music with, and the euphoria it gives me to feel it vibrating through my body.

Our mad, tearer of the soul Dionysus. When my mind is racing, won’t stop yelling, screaming, saying things that aren’t true, I call to him, and he graciously calms my mind.

Our sweet-voiced, gentle Dionysus. Softening blows I inflict upon myself. He who fills me with warmth, placing soft hands on my shoulders, relaxing me.

My tender-hearted, ivy-crowned, loving god Dionysus. For whom I owe my gratitude to, for seeing that I needed him before I could even realize it.

I thank you and love you.

[khaire-traveler]

In honor of Lady Artemis 💜🩵🦌🧸🏹🌙

Happy birthday

The pitter-patter of tiny feet,

The quiet solace of a night in the woods,

The thrill of dancing with friends,

The beauty of a flame,

The majesty of seeing an animal in the wild,

The twinkle in a child's eyes,

The creak of pulling back a bow's string,

The crunch of the forest floor,

The sounds of crickets chirping in the night,

The freedom of staying true to yourself,

The nostalgia of sweet childhood memories,

The love between a dog and their owner,

The fury when a loved one is mistreated,

The need to care for another who is hurting,

The wonder of seeing fireflies rise in a field,

The comfort of stargazing or cloud watching,

The bond between wolves in a pack,

The heartfelt music of the night...

~

Goddess Artemis,

The Darting, The Fierce, The Compassionate,

The Lethal Huntress With Impeccable Aim,

The Light Bringer With A Thousand Names,

The One Who Shall Never Be Tamed,

You are all of these things and more.

You are limitless, boundless, free.

You are the inspiration of many,

By simply being who You are.

May You run free in the woods, in the wild,

With Your loyal band of nymphs,

Dancing and hunting and laughing,

For all of Your immortal life.

I wish You nothing but joy,

And I thank You for the times You've wished me,

All the same.

You are blessed, Glorious Goddess,

In so many ways,

And I am graced by Your presence.

You allow me to connect with nature,

To ground myself, to find joy, to embrace who I am.

You instill courage, give comfort, provide aid,

Even when You receive nothing or little in return.

You are so generous,

You are so kind,

And You are forever changing.

And throughout the many challenges,

That I have faced these past few years,

You've supported me.

Even when I did not believe in myself,

You believed in me,

And I am forever grateful for that.

Thank You, Kindly Artemis,

For everything.

You are a blessing to the world,

And all living things,

Big and small, prey and predator, plant and animal.

I will always have love in my heart for You.

Happy Thargelia; Happy Birthday.

[k-oree]

Erato, Muse of Love Poetry

Albertina • Vienna, Austria

[hyakinthou-naos]

Hestia

Hestia’s posture is impeccable.

She is neither tall nor short - and round in figure.

Her hips are wide - perfect for holding the children that she never birthed, but cares for anyway.

Her belly is round, from good food and a good family - and it bounces slightly when she laughs.

She has a mothers face, and a mothers hands, and auburn hair that falls in curls.

She wears dresses in muted oranges and reds, or browns - and her apron is off-white.

She hums when she cooks in the kitchen and grows her own herbs in the back garden.

She keeps a cleaning rag in her pocket, and always has a salve ready in case of scraped knees or burnt hands.

She does not yell, no - her honey brown eyes give a harsh enough stare to silence unruly children and self-indulgent adults.

Her doors are always open, to the forgotten and the lost - to the wandering and the wanting.

She always cooks enough for extra company and second helpings.

Her hearth is always burning, her love is never ending.

Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home,

Lead my way - and light my path. 🕯️

- Hestia’s Hearth; An original hymn

[devotee-of-aphrodite-venus]

[drowningparty]

Sophocles, Electra (trans. Anne Carson)

[katerinaaqu]

People who criticize others for disliking the changes of Greek mythology when gods are twisted to look like some sort or final villain boss fight video game I honestly wanna see how the reactions would be if someone created a biblical musical where the Pharaoh of Egypt takes revenge against God of Israelites for killing the first born of Egypt by smiting him with his own sword or justice and claim he does it for his people while God begs for mercy.

Food for thought

[pearlsandjustice]

Aphrodite

Is born from the sky and into the sea

And you can find her in the vivid, exquisite earth.

In the ripe, warm-coloured fruits on the tree which may remind you of the lush softness of fatty flesh or the tenderness of the heart.

There is so much love, so much beauty to be found in all that surrounds us,

And you can always find her there

In the depths and on the sun-warmed surface

Of the world and of yourself.

[whim513]

i love father hades, he’s the softness in darkness, the peace in silence, he’s strong and steady his hands never wavering. He’s wise and calm and despite his reputation his love is abundant. His love is soothing quiet, darkness after a long overwhelming day, soft music, tears and tenderness. He is fatherly and makes everything seem okay, he is a promise of kindness beyond life, and i think that in each pocket of relief, of love in the world, he is there. In tea, in friendship, in a stranger smiling at you, a wave between customers, a kiss on the cheek, a wagging tail of a pet. His love is gentle and steady, a rocking chair and i love him with deep tenderness.

[delacrvix]

˚ ༘♕ ⋆｡˚ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄

He is who creates the wine Brings the pleasure and desire to men The son of the Great God Zeus The youthful God of Madness

Men forget their agony in his presence Pleasure would fill their hearts Through wine, music, and dance Until they no longer knew who they were

The forest became one with him The great graceful panther is his Grapevine is his sacred plant Pleasure is what he brings to men

Shall the women dance until they fall Sing until their voice is hoarse Be free from worries This is to honor the Great God Dionysus

Should you look down on him He shall turn you mad and lost For he is the God of Insanity Join him to feel the pleasure he will offer you

Dionysus; the God who brings Pleasure

[dionysianfreak]

Prayer to Dionysos of the Grapevine

I sing praises to the eternal one, glorious Dionysos

She who drips with honey, passionately entangled in flora

beautiful, kind Dionysos—tender patience flowing from Her cup

we pour you out to the Gods

that our mortal form may inch closer to divinity.

creeping like the gnarled ivy leaves,

we entangle ourselves in Her beauty,

and wash down the promise of everlasting life

[beatingdrumspouringwine]

At night, the frogs croak loud enough to drive Dionysos mad twice-over.

The wind blows with the breath of Zephyrus, and Notos' cold breath no longer stings bare skin. Even the winds that are cold seem to come from a warmer source.

Apollo has returned to Delphi, and prophecies float freely through the ruins.

The Dryads slowly open their bleary red eyes from their long rest. By the time they are fully open, they will be green. In the meantime, their evergreen sisters tell them stories of the winter.

Artemis restrings Her bow, and carefully places perfect arrows into Her quiver. For now, She only hunts what grows in the forest - fiddlehead ferns, ramps, and water from sweet-flowing springs. But when the animals fully awaken, when the young are grown, She will take again to Her hunting grounds.

Athena receives Her yearly influx of frantic prayers from students as they embark on their end-of-the-year projects, be they theses or finals.

Hermes stands guard over muddy roads, stopping fools from going where their cars cannot.

Zeus sends down rain that is warm, that people can stand and dance in. This rain gives life, and never freezes. Below, blessed Hera laughs and picks the new flowers, and gently ushers Her peacock’s new chicks beneath Her skirt when the rain is too hard.

Below the Earth, Hades passes letters to Iris, each one carefully addressed to His beloved Wife, and Iris joyfully takes the letters in Her careful hands and springs up from the Underworld, leaving colorful arcs in the sky as She runs.

And, of course, Persephone returns to open-armed Demeter, whose joy echoes through the world along with that of Her Daughter's. How beautiful and blessed are the joys of the Gods!

[khaire-traveler]

The sound of voices fill the air,

Apollo strums his lyre,

Putting flowers in their hair,

They dance 'round the fire;

They chant and yell and shout,

Devotion is their muse,

Let their praises and curses out,

Others, they confuse;

For true devotion cannot be,

So easily understood,

Filled with devout mystery,

As worshipper should.

-

~°|| An original poem for Apollo ||°~

[imagineee-123]

Ode to Aidoneus (Hades)

Oh, sweet God of the dead, protect my soul

Your darkness consumes all and keeps us whole

Aidoneus, giver of wealth, the one unseen

Keeper of the departed, our endings foreseen

Rolling waves, leading to your tender embrace

Oh, the fear of your presence is misplaced

A respectable, fatherly being

Your watchful eye and doting, oh-so-freeing

Your eternal black, revered by the moon and stars alike

The realm of Hades’ where there is only night

Lost souls, wallow and pray

You are the light to lead our way

The lingering smoke of a candle wick burnt

You, to which our spirits will return

May their trepidation turn to serenity

As they learn, you are not our enemy

Mortal life is far too brief

Though I know you’ll bring comfort to our grief

Your Kingdom, mysterious and homely

How I know your arms will hold me

Oh, praise be to Hades and His arcane caress

There will be a day I must feel the kiss of death

And in His domain, there will be no rain

For I will know I am loved

This is an original poem. Please don't repost elsewhere! (At least not without credit or permission.) Thanks to @vibeswithrenai for the Hades themed dividers.

[thedawnwitch]

September 12th, 2024

[devotee-of-aphrodite-venus]

Women are pomegranates.

We will stain you bloody

if you try to tear our divine bodies apart.