I Went to a Writing Group Today - January 22nd, 2020

Analiese often comes up with creative prompts for the group. I like to think that I generate some creative responses. This one is good.


A small slip of paper released from her fingertips and softly floated down to rest upon my open palms, pressed together and waiting to gently caress the prompt from destiny. Here's what it said.

- - - - - - -

Dream-catcher:
Write something inspired by a recent dream you had.

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I dream every night, but I don't usually write them down. They evaporate as if they are only a mist receding before me upon awakening. I've written a few articles on dreams. Mine can be quite detailed, including reading well put together fictional and non-fictional books right in the dreams themselves.

I allowed myself some artistic license with this and didn't base it specifically off of a dream.

When we share in the group we often state our name and something about ourselves. It was suggested that this time we share what we want to be when we grow up. Some people ignored it, some people talked about their pasts, and some people talked about their futures. Since I have no idea how to answer that question, and probably never will, I abstained. Instead, I set the context to my writing by giving an intro, which I don't usually do.

"Prometheus Bound" by Aeschylus is one of the greatest works ever written. This is my opinion, and it is the correct opinion. It's about the primordial Titan Prometheus being bound to a mountain-side as punishment by order of the Olympian God Zeus.

For the last couple of months I've been doing some heavy studying on a number of subjects. Projects that will be forthcoming on politics, philosophy, history, slavery, ethics, meditation, narrative, literature, religion, and such. I've read a couple dozen books and papers on Eastern religions in the last few weeks, like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. In the "Upanishads" there is one part where someone has a conversation with death.

This piece is a little bit of a fusion of these two ideas. An ancient Greek and ancient Hindu fusion.

This is poetry designed to be performed by people in a play. Imagine that some genius wrote it in Koine Greek. In the original language it had meter and rhyme. But, those get lost in this translation into modern English.

Thanatos is the Greek god of death.

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Seeker:
Speak to me oh ancient one.
Grant me this humble request.
A short audience with the one most below.

Thanatos:
I am called forth from my alien abode.
Who dares with such audacity,
   to invoke one such as me,
      last born of the ancient three?

Seeker:
I seek out your council oh mighty one,
   slayer of beast and man alike.
Not only for myself.
It is an opportunity,
   for one to learn,
      and for one to bequest to humanity.

Thanatos:
I bestow one gift upon the living,
   to forsake that land,
      and enter into a new place,
         where they may rest in peace.

Seeker:
Death is the final resting place of all who struggle.
All recognize this great truth,
   and bow to the unyielding power of Thanatos.
Yet, I do so still implore,
   to meet one as great as thee,
      would it not be better for mortal men,
         such as I am,
            to be prepared,
               for whence that time comes?
To stand upon that threshold with knowing in the head,
   and calm within the heart?

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That's a good start. I think the Seeker almost has Thanatos convinced to give him some advice. It's almost like the ancient invocation of the muse, this muse just happens to be Death.

Note that the other two ancient ones are Time and Chaos.

I do have a dream to write a great work. A work to compliment Aeschylus and complete the story. I'm not sure I'm ready for it yet. I'm not sure I ever will be. But, this makes me think that it may yet be possible for me to produce something at that level of greatness. I wrote this in 30 minutes, after thinking about the prompt for a couple of minutes, and it has no edits. Maybe I contain a great work that has yet to unfold.

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To read more from Jeff go to JeffThinks.com or JeffreyAlexanderMartin.com

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