I don’t normally explain all of the little allusions and puzzles I put into my poetry, but this one is kind of special so I figured I’d break it down a bit for you guys.
First off, the title Boustrophēdon means “as the ox turns” and refers to bidirectional text where alternating lines must be read in opposite ways (i.e. right to left, then left to right.) It also means “in the likeness or manner of an ox” which is appropriate for a poem that sets forth a Dionysian ethos or system of behavior. Much of the poem’s philosophy is derived from Herakleitos (continuing the theme of engagement with and critique of Presocratic and later European philosophical currents such as existentialism and nihilism through the lens of Starry Bull mythography) with some basic libertarianism thrown in for good measure. (Haha. Get it? Libertarianism.)
In addition to the first and final lines being palindromes (i.e. they appear the same whether read forwards or backwards) the poem contains an acrostic. Unlike most acrostics, however, this one is intended to be read from bottom to top rather than top down. The acrostic is a magical charm against those who would seek to violently oppress the worshipers of Dionysos – because #bacchiclivesmatter.
The Nobody mentioned in the poem is Odysseus who, when asked his name by the Sicilian Cyclops told Polyphemos that he was “Οὖτις” – No One. Later, after lulling Polyphemos into a drunken stupor Odysseus drives a sharpened stick into his eye, blinding him. When Polyphemos bellows for his fellow Cyclopes to come help him he claims to have been hurt by No One, so they assume he’s lost his mind and attribute his ravings to divine disfavor, recommending prayer and sacrifice as a remedy.
This is a nod to another recurring theme in the collection this poem is a part of, the power of clowns to drive off misfortune and monsters – especially those who garb themselves with hatred, ignorance, greed, brutality and authoritarianism. Forces that are rising up in our world once more with a vengeance.
There are a couple more Bacchic Orphic “easter eggs” in it but those mysteries are best unveiled in their own time, and by the reader.
