All rights to respective owners (Craig Bartlett, et al)
Oh! My Orzo-Shaped Prometheus
By Helga G. Pataki
written in the 4th grade
Oh! My orzo-shaped Prometheus! Oh! That I could be Hercules! Oh! That I would sacrifice myself! Oh! My ever loving Prometheus! Oh! My tenderhearted Prometheus!
My ever glorious Titan!
Strong, true, pure, able to brighten
even the surliest of foes!
Setting you free from your bondage
and soothing you from the carnage
of the loneliness and pain of this world.
Even to give you a moment's relief
of what I've spied, your secret grief
that you hide deeply under your mask
The embodiment of human striving
more than a survivor, but thriving
with the innate goodness in your soul
Your life has been filled with serendipity
if only you had known, would only see
what I'd have done and would do to save you
Author's Note:
If you're interested in the meaning of the poem, I essentially took inspiration about the mythology of Prometheus (haphazardly from the Wiki site):
First stanza, describes Arnold as a Titan. In a way capturing the level that Helga sees him as: a diety. Second stanza, Hercules is the one who set free and saved Prometheus. Helga wants to do the same but from the almost Zeus like ways of the world minus the crows eating livers of course. Third stanza, Prometheus establishes animal sacrifice. Humans are technically animals, so I wanted to capture how sacrificial Helga has been and would be for Arnold. Third and fourth stanza, aspects that Prometheus is known for that I believe captures Arnold very well. First, he strives to thrive in spite of his pain that is there and I believe his innate goodness both hides and allows him to empathize with others. Second, Prometheus is also known for overreaching and unintended consequences. Both the negative (think Eugene's Bike) and positive (most times Arnold wants to help etc) where luck and serendipity happens so often. Again, Helga has had a hand in helping Arnold's desires and wishes come to fruition (referencing the Christmas episode).
Also please read and review. Poetry is somewhat a new area for me and I want to know what you think (good and bad). Thank you!