Antigone

I thought I saw Antigone

She of ancient Greek tragedy

Hiding in the shadows of my mind

Her porcelain face frozen

Head tilted, slightly raised 

The way a Greek royal might do

She of the Theban dynasty

Sister of Polynices, the brother accused of treason

She who said we must bury our dead

He sentenced to death without decency

Better he be torn to shred by wolves

Picked apart by crows in a public space

But some things are worse than death

Abandonment, cruelty, irreverence

Desecration, humiliation, scorn

For the dead that once was our brother

Cursed and abandoned

Undeserved and yet, loved

How much cruelty can humanity serve?

Cruelty upon cruelty

Tragedy upon tragedy

Antigone, sister of ancient stories

A triumph, not a tragedy

Protectress of moral goodness

Men would rather you, yourself 

Be picked apart by wild beasts

While you pray over your brother's corpse

But you say, some things are worse than death

Desecration, cruelty, death of the soul

Losing oneself to the corruptible mob

Losing oneself