by Tarek Hassan
Friday, May 30, 2003

excursion into ancient mythology
Oedipus the most sublime
contemplation on the two inseperable Oedipus plays of Sophocles, regularly separated and distanced.

ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE PERENNIAL DRAMA

Oedipus the most sublime

you wanted to know
and you knew
MORE you said....
and you knew
MORE
and you knew

STOP SAID THE SHEPHERD!

MORE
MORE
MORE

and then....
you knew T O O M U C H . . .


YOU HAD DELVED TOO DEEP
AND SUDDENLY THE VOLCANO OF GUILT PANIC AND TERROR ERUPTED
and overwhelmed ALL with horror
and you, the only man that braved the Sphinx, did the ostrich thing:
You blinded yourself into darkness and easy oblivion
.................................
...................................

but after the panic
and despair
through the blindness
the curses
the rabid condemnation
of the mob
of brothers of sisters
fathers, mothers, uncles, spinster aunts
even sons

you SAW all
in a new and simple light ..
an old light ..

and like Atlas you lifted the IMPOSSIBLE weight

and stood up again
upright
great
inimitable sublime
in your blindness
YOUR knowledge
enlightening a world of darkness ..
for all to SEE
..............
Oedipus
if only they would see ..


wrote Sophocles:

Oedipus Rex

of all lives
of all deaths
yours is the most sublime ...
your transfiguration at Colonas shall forever be
the most sublime
........
.............
......

perenial drama