Father and Son

The Titans were a nasty lot. Saturn (Kronos in Greek) always devoured his own offspring to prevent a new generation of gods. A rock was substituted for Zeus, so that the boy could be reared in secret in an oak tree. Later he would attack his father, cutting him open and releasing his brothers and sisters from the Titan's belly.

All of which provoked me to write this little epigram this morning:

FATHER AND SON

Saturn, thou sluggard,

swallowing stone,

mistaking a rock

for a swaddled babe,

you will pay!

Zeus slipped away,

oak-coddled

by his mother Rhea,

taking with acorn-milk

the seed of rebellion.

One day your bloated

belly will be cut,

the never-digested

rocks and Titans

spewn out to make

a whole new Mythos,

somewhat less cruel

and capricious

than the elder

monstrosities.