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| Henry Fuseli: Ariadne Watching the Struggle of Theseus with the Minotaur (1815-1820) |
Theseus
A dusk filled nether-land I roam,
torch brandished high against the gloom,
a length of cord to lead me back
outside the Earth's infernal womb.
I dread the moment when I'll meet
the creature that I've come to seek.
Half-man, half-beast
A hideous sight -
ruler of this realm of night.
I lift lead-heavy limbs.
When will it end, this constant downward trudge?
Have I been here for hours or days?
Time itself loses its way
in the shadows of this maze.
My guiding flame is smothered by the fetid air,
puts up a valiant fight
then flickers weakly,
starts to die
in fits of
choking
smoke.
In the feeble light
of embers still aglow,
a dark mysterious lake no man has seen before
appears.
Throat scorched, lips parched,
Throat scorched, lips parched,
I drag myself towards its edge
to slake my thirst.
I face the water's surface,
still as glass.
There,
staring back at me,
smiling heinously
the Minotaur I see.
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| Master of the Campana: Theseus in the Labyrinth (1515-1520) |
