The Iliad – a footnote

He wants breath but won’t let go
of spirit or soul so body departs.
Dark overwhelms him; the ferryman
is already paid. He wants to reach out
for thickness of flesh but it’s gone
with lightness of heart. He calls.
The ferryman eases him forward.
Forgetting must wait. He looks back
as the boat, insistent, carries him on
to the shadow realm.

Kathleen Bell


If you have any comments on this poem, Kathleen Bell would be pleased to hear from you.