Ferryman

Sylva Hanáková

The two Titans,

Life and Death.

Both powerful,

both so divine,

yet so dreadful.

Love is a foolish thing,

but even the most powerful creatures

have their weaknesses.

Maybe it was Fate

pulling the strings,

perhaps it was

just an accident.

Life fell in love

with Death.

Some may call it

tragic love,

for they can't be together.

But the two Titans

won't give up.

Life found a young woman,

whose life was lonesome.

They won't miss her,

he thought.

He was right.

And so Life took

the little lady,

he took her out

into the night sky

and gave her a boat.

Here, you lonesome heart.

You shall help me

get the souls across the river,

you shall deliver them

to Death.

With them you will sing the songs

I wrote for my beloved one.

In exchange

You shall never be forlorn,

for the souls will keep you accompanied.

They will tell you stories,

call you the ferryman of love.

They will sing with you

the songs I wrote for her.

What was there to lose?

Perhaps the mortal life?

Who would want that,

when you can just

sit on a boat

and listen to stories?

I sailed down the river,

shrill voices of souls

haunted my ears

as they all happily sang

the songs Life wrote for Death.

On my ways back,

I would recite the verses

Death wrote for Love.

Souls would not accompany me

on my ways back to Life for they

would always stay with Death,

and play with her hair.

So I would just sit

on my little boat,

reciting the verses,

watching the beautiful stars

sparkling and reflecting

on the river.

Stars above me,

stars below me,

stars in my heart.

Love verses and songs

escaping my lips.

That is the story of

how the forbidden love

of the two Titans

turned me,

a lonesome,

worthless woman

into a ferryman of love.

                                                                                                                                               Edited by Petra Němcová