Penelope Awaits

Remembering 2020 and 2021, When Time Itself Was On Pause

By: Dov Treiman

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Penelope Awaits is an epic poem, loosely based on the character Homer presents in his epic poem, "The Odyssey." In The Odyssey, we learn that Penelope is waiting 20 years for her husband, Odysseus, to return from the Trojan War. She has to use wit and guile to keep the kingdom safe and the royal throne empty of others who would take it. Penelope Awaits expands on these ideas and shows a woman of resource and wisdom who struggles as a single parent to keep all in balance while she waits for her husband's return. However, over the course of 20 years, it becomes clear she has a far greater knack for ruling than he does. The poem is almost entirely in iambic pentameter and recalls the style of Shakespearean poetry, but with a modern bite and modern issues. All is a metaphor for how we waited for the pandemic for relief from our fear and loneliness. Included in the volume as well is a free standing poem, "Daedylus Laments" about Daedylus's reaction to his son's death, flying too close to the sun.