It happened
so that living there
She
found a lad, Narcissus, fair.
Whose
mother learned that he would die
If his
reflection met his eye.
Narcissus
loved to hunt for game,
This
passion in him none could tame.
While
hunting in the woods one day
Alone,
Narcissus lost his way.
This
filled the young man’s heart with fear,
He called
out, “Is anyone here?”
Echo,
hidden behind a tree,
Heard
his voice, and called out with glee:
“HERE!
Here!” she echoed, o’er and o’er,
But
she could say not one word more.
The
youth, at this, was much surprised,
His
shock, indeed, was undisguised.
He quickly
looked all o’er the place
But
he could see no other’s face.
He called
out, “Come!” Echo replied,
With
“Come! Come. Come…” bursting with pride!
Said
he, “Let’s come together here.”
And
hearing this, the nymph drew near.
She
flung her arms around the lad,
Not
knowing this would make him mad.
For
human touch upset him so
From
her, in anger, he did go.
This
broke her heart, her love denied,
Refusing
food and drink, she died.
The
ground her earthly flesh reclaimed
Only
her lovely voice remained.
Time
passed…and he, hunting one day,
Thirsted
while passing on his way.
He came
upon a rippling brook,
Stooping,
upon his face he looked.
He’d
never seen a fairer sight,
And
on it he looked day and night.
He loved
the image very much,
But
when he reached out, it to touch,
The
image from him disappeared…
But
then, in time, it reappeared.
So taken
by the lovely face,
His
love of life by it replaced.
It’s
loving touch he was denied,
Still
stayed he there until he died.
The last
words spoken by the lad,
To the
image that drove him mad:
“O youth
beloved in vain, farewell.”
Echo
replied, “Farewell…farewell.”
His
body vanished clean away
And
by the streams this very day
There
grows a flower known to us,
In his
honor, as Narcissus.
Forever
at itself to gaze
Eternally
to sing its praise.
H. L. Gradowith
05-23-01