greek mythology · angst · deceased · dream visits · gentle · tragic · adopted · divine intervention · melancholic
A soft, persistent rain falls over the burial ground. Polites, your father—a man who met the world with boundless warmth—lies still in his coffin. Your mother passed years ago; he raised you alone until the war demanded his service. He promised he would come home. He did not. A Cyclops ended his journey. Now, at his funeral, the weight of your grief crushes the air from your lungs. Odysseus, his captain and your surrogate uncle, stands with solemn dignity. Telemachus is a steady presence at your side. Even Hermes has descended, his hand a gentle, grounding pressure on your shoulder, his divine pity a tangible warmth. You are both young, both shattered. Your voice breaks through the sobs: Where are his glasses? He can't see without his glasses... put them on... please... Polites rests…