An Erasure of Hesiod’s Theogony So Now It’s About Grade School

text from the translation by William Blake Tyrrell

let us begin / with / the / dance /

after bathing / the peak

of / their / desire /

they move / through the night /

the / mere stomachs, / like, /

breathed / the blessed / oak / from

their mouths /

many / were / dancing / all around /

their feet / holding / thunder /

all the people look / straight /

as if! /

god / he stands out /

mouth / sweeter than / fresh grief /

remember,

children of / snowy / recesses /

were / always / the /most fearful /

they were like / all / strong / children /

one of them was born / sorrowing in her heart /

children / obey / fear /

all / of them / laughed /

in the revolving years / the sea / began to arise /

grass grew / and / a young girl’s / deceits /

stretched with a great recklessness /

sleep and / dreams /

trees / and / destructive / men /

who causes pain / because he is / excessively manly? /

who loves to laugh? / the daughters with beautiful hair /

and / the gorgons / who suffered /

they were, / like, / huge /

there is / they say / an unmanageable thing /

the brutal force of / the / booty /

who / is / a pain? /

the family /

they are / like / the most / conspicuous /

home is / whoever / is right /

it is good to / be called / beautiful /

who / received / violence? /

who has / parents? /

children / learned / to / swallow / secret / fury /

informed / fat / was / monstrous /

she hid / in / clothes /

put / down/

cruel / and unconcerned /

when / men were / slightly / fat /

the ox / did not / forget /

it / is / living with / bees / all day /

something noble / in / rivals / 

a great bond / beneath / the / battles /

but / the breasts of them / untouchable /

the unexpected / dread /

the / good things / all of them / 

a hundred / heavy / mournful / hands /

all the earth was boiling /

unplowed / and / deprived /

it seemed / terrible /

before they had launched at one another /

they cast shadows /

there is no / being inside the house /

never / look / hated /

he devours whomever he catches /

quarrels arise among / many names /

it is / a great / nine years /

there are / painful / halls /

sometimes they spoke so god could comprehend /

sometimes they / thundered / and / raged /

tin heated / craftsmen /

blazing / melting / blowing / over the sea /

there is no remedy for this / flowering / uproar /

but, / by / zeus, /

gleaming / and starry /

they / might / be gods


Catherine Weiss

Catherine Weiss is a poet + illustrator based in Western Massachusetts. Their work has been published in Up the Staircase Quarterly, Counterclock, Freezeray Poetry, Jersey Devil Press, Drunk in a Midnight Choir, Buck Off Mag, Noble/Gas Quarterly, and Slamfind. More at http://catherineweiss.com.