merlin’s requiem
Requiem (noun):
- A Mass for the repose of the souls of the dead.
- An act or token of remembrance.
——
Beneath the celestial canopy where whispers murmur and fade,
An alchemy of souls intertwine under twilight's parade.
Merlin, harbinger of dreams, and echoes of Hellenic despair,
Voices of 'what ifs' prance in the crisp evening air.
Amidst the swaying of shadow and light,
A labyrinth of choices, obscured from sight.
With each step taken, new paths branch anew,
Where traces of Merlin gather like morning dew,
Murmurs of holy rapture, where the gray fades into mist,
And the heart’s deepest longings are tenderly kissed.
The park at Sunset, a canvas drenched in gold,
Our facades lower, as the night takes hold.
A subtle reminder of the twin lives we lead,
In these hushed moments, our true essence freed.
Does fate replay, as glistening stars in our sky,
Or do we hike new trails, where old loves lie?
Merlin—a question in the chilled night’s air,
A prophecy of hope, or of a Siren’s despair?
In this alias, an odyssey, both ancient and renewed,
A prisoner poised, awaiting truth's due.
Shall we wait, or shall we deviate,
In destiny’s dance, we leave not all to fate?
Beneath the starlight, whispers evaporate into night,
Merlin—a memory, now melded with the light.
In duality, lamenting blunders, yet wisdom reborn,
Now a shadow, a lonely tale left shorn.
No longer to wait, no longer to pine,
In Merlin’s heart, a knot, undeniably divine.
For power dwells not in awaiting fortune’s hand,
But in seizing the moment, with courage, boldly making our stand.
The specter of ol’ Merlin, once a beacon of the night,
Now a lesson in love, in taking one’s maiden flight.
For Merlin’s legacy heralds our voyage, neither bitter nor sweet,
A reminder that a date with destiny is ours to meet.
Taking each leap forward, a path anew,
Under skies painted the boldest hue of phthalo blue.
In the eddy of outcomes, not governed by chance,
A crusade of faith, a prescient advance.
For beneath the obsidian waves, where whispers once wove,
Rests the potency of action, a fervor to fearlessly move.
Merlin—a memory, a chapter closed with grace,
In the tome of the heart, a new story embraces its place.
So let it be howled, under dawn’s burgeoning light,
That Merlin's demise was the awakening of clarity's might.
Only through taking agency can we truly see,
That in our palms lies the key to our destiny.
——
Summary Note
Merlin’s Requiem explores the waltz between free will and destiny, underscoring our choices' transformative impact on the relationships that shape us.
The poem draws inspiration from themes of destiny, love, and defiance in literature. Frank Herbert’s "Dune" shows the Kwisatz Haderach’s struggle with destiny. Edgar Allan Poe’s "Annabel Lee" shows the poignant beauty of lost love, while Dylan Thomas’s "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" inspires us to rebel against the inevitable.
My favorite creative works that helped me understand and think through this topic:
- Dune (book and movies) by Frank Herbert and adapted by Denis Villeneuve
- Annabel Lee (poem) by Edgar Allen Poe
- Do not go gentle into that good night (poem) by Dylan Thomas