‘Melampus: The Listener’: A Poem by Dusty Grein

Melampus: The Listener

Canto I—The Gift of Listening

1. The Birth of the Listener
The strong winds over Pylos were whirling and whispering low,
while a babe in his cradle was ringed by the blustery night.
Two green serpents coiled near to the boy in the pale silver glow,
and they whispered soft words in his ears with prophetic insight.

2. The Watchful Boy
As he grew, he would listen intently to insects and rain,
and the flowers and birds of the field as they murmured their tones.
Wild rabbits and foxes told him what the world might contain,
and they all shared their secrets in voices still fully his own.

3. The Act of Mercy
One bright day, as he plowed, he saw very young snakes near the blade.
The small serpents were fragile; he saw they were scared and alone,
so he bore them away, placing them in the olive tree’s shade –
and they whispered their thanks in thin voices, not wholly his own.

Canto II—The Serpent’s Prophecy

4. The Dream of Serpents
That same night came a dream of two snakes, their winged coils in flight,
and they hissed of the future to be, and the paths men would take.
He awoke as their tongues flicked his ears, their scales shimmering bright
and his mind, from that moment, contained a foreknowledge of fate.

5. Awakening to the Voices
He awoke to the voices of creatures, no two quite the same,
every syllable vivid and clear, every whisper a sign—
and he understood each word they said, be they wild or tame.
They revealed to his mind secret plans of the Gods’ own design.

6. Exile and Journey
But the people recoiled from the boy, as from thunder or flame;
it was rumored he walked with the Gods, and he heard things unknown.
So he gathered his cloak and departed, and gave up his name,
while he wandered through mountains and plains where no mortal had gone.

Canto III—Trials and Truth

7. The Prison of Phylace
The dark king of Phylace took him captive and bound him in chains,
in a cell of dark timber and stone, where loud gnawing was heard.
As he lay there, the whispers of termites foretold hidden pains,
and he listened as omens the silence and darkness conferred.

8. The Termite Prophecy
In the termites’ soft murmurs he heard a strange prophetic truth:
that the roof of the prison would break with a sudden sharp cry.
He called out to the guards, who ignored him – until it fell through
and it showed that the voices of creatures he heard could not lie.

9. Healing Iphiclus
Poor Prince Iphiclus couldn’t have children—a sorrowful tale,
for his spirit was scarred by a knife he had seen in his youth.
Two small birds whispered secrets and Melampus followed the trail,
and located the knife which restored him, by showing the truth.

Canto IV—Madness and Bargain

10. The Daughters of Proetus
When the daughters of Proteus, King of all Argos, went mad,
they were cursed to believe they were cattle and roam through the hills.
The sad King asked Melampus to come, though his prospects were bad
and he offered rewards, if the seer could banish their ills.

11. Bargain Refused
The man asked for a third of the kingdom to help the girls heal,
but the proud King derided his claim, laughed aloud at his plight.
Yet the madness spread further; more women were roaming the fields
and their cries, sounding bovine, echoed through the hills in the night.

12. Purification by Sea
Now the desperate king gave two-thirds of his kingdom instead,
and Melampus drove all the wild women into the sea’s foam.
With the help of the rites that were whispered inside of his head,
He then chanted the words he had heard, and he brought them back home.

Canto V—Rule and Apotheosis

13. Division of Argos
Thus, the kingdom was split into thirds—the agreed upon fee.
Both Melampus and his younger brother would rule their own part.
The land flourished, grew fertile, the hills again green as could be,
and the people grew strong, being ruled by a king with a heart.

14. The Listener in Age
In the twilight he sat by the river and heard every voice,
from the sparrow and ox to the crickets and whispering stream.
He would smile as the world spoke amazed at the Gods’ wondrous choice
and he rested within the mysterious, unending dream.

15. Apotheosis
One clear dawn he grew still, and he listened much deeper than e’er;
from his lips came the hush of release from his mortal disguise.
When the fields took his spirit, the serpents remembered forever,
and the breadth of creation responded with sorrowful eyes.

Dusty Grein is a retired Managing Editor of a small press publishing company—as well as a graphics designer, author, and poet. Originally from Federal Way, Washington, he is a lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest. His critically acclaimed best-selling novel, The Sleeping Giant, and his first poetry collection, A Mist Shrouded Path, are available in print and as Kindle Select titles. His shorter works and award-winning poetry have been published in several collections, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, OWS Inked, and The Quarterday Review. His blog, From Grandpa’s Heart… is followed by fans around the world.