I Drank of Mnemosyne

My Chalice final round piece.

According to Dr. Wikipedia, Mnemosyne was not just a Titan, but also a river (or a pool) in the Underworld.  Most people drank from the Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, but the souls of those initiated into the mysteries could find Mnemosyne and hang onto their memories of their lives.

This hit me as a powerful metaphor for living with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's or another form of dementia: one soul drinks from Mnemosyne, but the other drinks from the Lethe.

We laughed and loved our whole lives long
Up in the lands of light
Now we awake, together still,
In a realm of endless night

I take your hand as we wander on
And yet I feel no fear
Wherever these paths lead us to,
As long as you are near

We come upon the river Lethe
Its water dark as ink
The ferryman, he looks at us,
And he says that we must drink

In life, I was initiate
to mysteries and dreams
I know that I should seek nearby
A hidden flowing stream

I find it, taste it, and rejoice,
And call you to my side
When you don’t come, I turn to see
You kneeling by the water wide

I cry out for you to stop
But I am far too late
Drops of water on your lips
The gods laugh at our fate -

I, I drank of Mnemosyne
But you drank of the Lethe
Now you walk in far-off fields
While I follow wrapped in grief

I rush to take you in my arms
To caress you and to kiss
If love can truly conquer all
Perhaps it can heal this

But I see no memory
When I look into your eyes
You say: Beautiful stranger, who are you?
And I bow my head and cry

The crossing on the ferry,
You are bewildered and afraid
I hold your hand and comfort you
Til we reach the shining glade

You thank me with the brilliant smile
I remember all too well
You run to dance in paradise
And leave me to my hell

A shadow fell across me then
So I turn to look and see
Lord Hades’ stone-faced cold regard
As he stops to measure me

"You think yourself so clever
You think yourself so wise
Did you think that you knew better
Than the King of All That Dies?"

I saw his queen behind him
With her eyes so sad and dark
I saw at least one other
Knew the reasons of my heart

It is bitter to be forgotten
But I swear a sacred oath
Until our time here’s at an end
I’ll remember for us both

For I, I drank of Mnemosyne
But you drank of the Lethe
Now you walk in far-off fields
While I follow wrapped in grief