Summary of Eunice de Souza Remember Medusa

My dumb ox loyalty is
the frozen heart
the frozen stare
of long aloneness
unpeopled even by terror

Remember Medusa,
who could not love
even herself?

These lines seem to express a sense of isolation and loneliness. The mention of “dumb ox loyalty” suggests a loyalty that feels stagnant and unresponsive. The references to the frozen heart and frozen stare convey a feeling of emotional coldness and detachment. The line about being unpeopled even by terror implies a state of being so alone that even fear or terror cannot penetrate it. The mention of Medusa, who couldn’t love herself, adds another layer of complexity to the theme of isolation and self-perception. It seems that these lines are exploring the deep emotions and experiences of feeling disconnected and detached from others, perhaps reflecting on the struggles of loneliness and self-acceptance.

Better the flailing
the angry words
burning through the brain
the certain sorrow

than letting go
than the fall
slow-motion
into that abyss

Each life-line of words
years in the making.

It seems that these lines are expressing a preference for expressing anger and sorrow rather than letting go and falling into an abyss. The mention of “flailing” and “angry words burning through the brain” suggests a desire to confront and express emotions, even if they are intense or painful. The idea of a “certain sorrow” implies a familiarity with sadness and the belief that it is better to experience it than to avoid it altogether. The mention of “slow-motion” and the fall into an abyss adds a sense of depth and intensity to the emotions being described. The final line about each life-line of words being years in the making suggests that these emotions and expressions have been built up over time. Overall, these lines are exploring the complexity of emotions and the importance of acknowledging and expressing them rather than suppressing or avoiding them.

Summary of Shanta Acharya The Homecoming