Dear Creon—
King Creon, sir.
I am of the wandering minds
And of the flowing tongues
That live below.
I am a messenger, not of the Gods,
Nor of royalty,
But of the people.
It is said that the tongue may run faster than any river,
And so I know of the death of Polyneices.
King Creon, sir,
No man is wrong for holding to his word,
But mankind is wrong for arrogance,
And for ignoring the past.
Antigone’s life ought be spared
To uphold your family,
To uphold Thebes,
To uphold your honour.
As soon as the prophecy of Oedipus arrived,
There were precautions taken,
Preventions,
And still Oedipus rang true to the words of a blind prophet.
The town was plagued and Thebes was weakened.
Then we found our queen dead—
And our then-king bloodied and blinded.
That counts:
1) A man banished
2) A girl dead
3) Daughters weeping for the total loss of family
4) The thought that in your hands is Antigone, Ismene, Eurydice and Haimon
Evermore, King Creon,
The people of Thebes
Believe in fools and fate.
They fear in the presence of prophecy and the Gods.
A strong state, my King, is built on the foundation of followers.
We, the people, do not distrust, but nevertheless stand in the temptation of a higher power. The influence of a higher power.
If you kill Antigone,
You may kill the people
By god-given plague or moral.
Finally,
Good King,
Your hands are not stained by your mother’s purity
Or the red of fresh blood.
Your honour is not in killing the foolish, or revenging on family.
Your honour is in your leadership.
Do not kill Antigone, but lead her
To seeing as you do.
She is not beyond punishment
And she is not beyond learning.
King Creon, uphold your honour by showing leniency and an example for the Thebans.
The girl is young and inexperienced.
She is a subject of heart,
And she is a subject of prophecy,
But she too is a subject of the King.
Her life and the life of others ought be saved.
You would be no worse.
The people have spoken quiet,
And I bring you their words.
Listen.
ESTÁS LEYENDO
Marker Margins
Poesía"It is now my favourite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book." -charlie from Perks Poems inspired by books.
