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This Upended The Myth In My Head
Politics of the Minotaur seeks to guide readers through the ever-changing landscape of chaos in their lives. What was the inspiration for putting this collection of poetry together?
The inspiration was a sculpture “Minotaur and Ariadne” by Federico Severino, which is the gorgeous image on the front cover of the book. I was in Positano, Italy and wandered into the Galleria d’Arte Portofino. When I came across this sculpture, I was stopped in my tracks. I knew the mythical story of the Minotaur, how he was fed young girls, but as I studied this sculpture, I could see that the Minotaur was complicated, that his human side made him more than just a beast. And he was in love with the woman in his arms. The woman, also, was snuggled and rested in his arms, feeling safe and loved. This upended the myth in my head. Here was supposedly a horrid creature, but yet he held the greatest capacity of all: the capacity to love. When you understand that and look around you, people suddenly are more than what you see – there are layers of history and humanness. Where did they come from? What happened in their life to lead them to this very moment? There is huge chaos in all our lives. There is good. There is bad. While the labyrinth of life is not always of our own making, it is ours to live, to explore, to divine – to create goodness and kindness from it, no matter what.
I enjoyed the poem “The Importance of Coffee” the most in this collection. Do you have a favorite poem from this collection and why?
I’m so glad you enjoyed that poem! We rush and rush in our lives and miss those away moments with God so easily, but these are the moments that can shape us most. One of my favorite poems in this collection is Vintage 2014. I think many readers will relate to this poem especially after what the world has been through the last two years. But this poem is about opening up a bottle of 2014 red wine. 2014 was a terrible year for me – I lost so many friends and I went through my second battle with cancer. But life has a beautiful way of giving us perspective. The greater the love, the greater its grief. Yes, our grief is horrible and consuming, but it is only because the love we experienced was so rich and incredible. How very lucky we are to have known that kind of love. The wine became a symbol of all the goodness that can come of even our most difficult times.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this collection?
I kept coming back to the life of the Minotaur. There are so many forces out of our control. What have we been dealt? But the most important question becomes What can we control? I believe we can change our stars. There are great lessons in nature on how to live our lives – and most importantly, how to be grateful for each moment of each day. There is chaos and difficulty, and things you have to do in this world that you never expected you would ever have to do…but oh, the beauty of our lives is something we would never trade.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My forthcoming poetry book is titled Turbulence & Fluids. It is being published by Madville Publishing. Look for it next Spring: 2023!
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A long observer of the natural world, karla k. morton does not believe in coincidences, but believes every word and step and observation has meaning and guides us. Just as the creation of the Minotaur was the gods’ doing, there is beauty in the monster; there is reason and magic in its very existence. How lucky we are to be able to grow old enough to witness such revelations.
Morton’s poetry guides us through the landmarks—the highs, the lows, creating an exquisite world within an ever-changing landscape of chaos.
Politics of the Minotaur: Poems
Politics of the Minotaur is a collection of short poems by award-winning poet Karla K. Morton. The poems discuss times in one’s life that make people question their fate and destiny. It might be a happy moment or a sad one, a big or a small one. But in these moments, you sometimes question your life and what the universe has in store for you. The common theme is that all these events become our identity and come to define us. This collection of poems explores these moments in various lifetimes and embraces them.
Karla is known to take her inspiration from nature. That’s not just limited to observing nature and writing about it. Rather it is seen across all her works with a keen eye for small details and beauty of life, faith and trust in the process, and the belief that everything is a part of a much bigger plan and that there’s a universal force guiding us all.
The title Politics of the Minotaur is fitting for this collection. In a sense, the Minotaur represents a monster that feeds on human flesh. However, if you look more closely, you realize that it, in fact, symbolizes vitality, strength, and power. Hidden inside a labyrinth, to be able to access this strength, one has to peel out layers and layers to truly access the power that the gods have given us. While there are clear mentions of a higher force of nature and destiny, the book isn’t based on spirituality. If you’re just someone who enjoys observing and appreciating the simple beauty of nature and life, you are definitely going to enjoy this collection.
For me, the poem that stands out the most is “The Importance of Coffee.” On the surface, it is because I do enjoy coffee, but reading the poem and reflecting on it, the meaning is much deeper. It reminds the reader to take time and appreciate the moment, look around and see what is right before you and stop thinking about the future and other obligations. Focus on the now.
Politics of the Minotaur is a beautifully put-together collection of poetry. The poems, just like the Minotaur’s labyrinth, have multiple layers to peel away and must be appreciated with patience, just like nature.
Pages: 103 | ASIN: B09NZPWZST
LITERARY TITAN 