I’m a Poet and Didn’t Know It!

“I am a tea-pot short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. Oh crap, I’m a sugar bowl.” – Ava Aston 2011

Ok, that’s as good as it gets for Greek girl poetry this year. You would think as a song writer I would be all giddy and have my pantaloons all in a wad over it being National Poetry Month, but the truth be told, I’m not so much into poetry. The word poetry comes from the Greek word poiesis, which means making, forming, creating, or the art of poetry, or a poem.

With all of my Greek-ness I should be totally into poetry since it is also widely believed that poetry can be traced back to Greek mythology. For example, Calliope (meaning beautiful voice) was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus. Calliope is also known for being Homer’s muse, the inspiration for his great literary works the Odyssey and the Iliad. I was forced to read those great literary works at gunpoint in High School. Yawn.

Because they didn’t have blogs to preserve all of history back in the day, some of the history of Greek mythology is totally muckery and it isn’t always the same account, so it depends on which account you read. One account says Calliope was the lover of the war god Ares, and bore him several sons: Mygdon, Edonus, Biston and Odomantus. They were respectively the founders of Thracian tribes known as the Mygdon, Edonus, Biston and Odomantus…but you probably already knew that if you are up to speed on your Greek mythology. (Alex, I will take Greek mythology for $200 please)

Calliope also had two famous sons, Orpheus and Linus (oh good gravy Mr. Bricks, not the same Linus from the Peanuts cartoons) by either Apollo or the King Oeagrus of Thrace. She taught Orpheus verses for singing.

Ava or Calliope?

Calliope or Ava?

Calliope means beautiful voice and she is always seen with a writing tablet in her hand. She was the wisest of the Muses, as well as the most assertive at times, she is depicted as carrying a roll of paper or a book or as wearing a gold crown. If she had sneakers on her feet I would say she was my doppelgänger – just sayin’

Go read a book of poetry and support your local poets during their celebratory time of the year!

Blessings,

Ava

xox