Humbaba and Grendel Walk into a Bar
A drink?
Why not?
There's Charlie's place.
Right!
Good to see you boys!
No trouble now!
Ahh, Charlie. Sorry about the severed heads
And all the mess!
What's done is done. Blood under the bridge!
What about it Grendel?
A Bloody Beowulf for he
And a Groaning Gilgamesh for me!
With a twist?
Sure, but no one's neck
For now!
Ha, ha!
How's the shoulder?
Still sore!
The shaman says 'a while'
Then back to the Great Mead Hall
For an unannounced comeback!
What about you, Hummy?
Those two made a mess of you
The last time out!
Come on now!
Out of shape I was!
I'll gnaw their skulls to a stump
Next time around!
You boys ever think of giving it up?
Charlie, Charlie!
What would you know about
Our sanguinary lust,
The molecules roaring,
Sleeves rolled up for the dirty work,
Spitting oaths from forest and sea
To chastise man's flimsy gods
And stare their souls into remnants
Of a cold, hard fire?
Well Gren, I'm off.
The cedars call as Enlil has ordered.
Besides, the town's temptations
Remind me of those days
When there was nothing but fear
Around me. Good days, those!
Travel well my beastly friend!
And me
Back to the deep and lonely sea,
My mother drowned
And wrapped in blackest kelp!
O tiny readers
Bring us
Back again
To sing you our song.
We will not hurt you
But a dream or a shivering cloud
Might stir your blood
On a page or two!
Nice seeing you Charlie!
You too boys!
About this poem
Humbaba is the monster that Gilgamesh slays at the urging of his friend Enkidu. Grendel is, well, Grendel.
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Written on August 19, 2022
Submitted by msharpe01 on August 19, 2022
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:32 min read
- 6 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XXXXABXXXXCCXXBXDXXXXXEFBXXGXCFXXXCXXD XXXXXX XCCGX XXXXEXXE CA |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,380 |
Words | 299 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 38, 6, 5, 8, 2 |
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"Humbaba and Grendel Walk into a Bar" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/134527/humbaba-and-grendel-walk-into-a-bar>.
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