A Muse by Any Other Name

This painting is titled Hesiod Listening to the Inspiration of the Muse
(Edmond-Francois Aman-Jean). Side note: Hesiod, an ancient Greek writer/poet, was given the poetic inspiration by the Muses while tending sheep. Go figure.

My Muse visited me today by channeling through one of my dear friends! She has been aware of my latest plight to reclaim my inner/outer Muse. She related the plot to a novel today in which the character is a writer who has lost his Muse because the ghostly/spirit that had been attached to him has left him to go on somewhere else. Perhaps my Muse was an apparition, a spirit, who is now occupying other places??? To believe this theory, first one must believe in spirits. Check.

The weird coincidence is that I had been feeling for about 3 months that a particular person who had passed was trying to use me in some way to communicate with its living relative. I know, I know, it sounds so fucking crazy (even for me!). I kept this little tidbit to myself for most of the three months because I knew people would think I had really lost my shit. I had a nagging feeling that the spirit (for lack of a better word) was hanging around because it needed or wanted me to do something in relationship to one of its living loved ones with whom I was acquainted. Finally, after I was able to voice it to one person who was closely related to the situation, I felt a little relief. I began to tell a few others.
Finally, one day something urged me to sit down and create a poem for that person. I did (see below) and passed it on through the mutual party. It was very soon after this time that I began struggling with my creative impulses. I don't know if it was my Muse and if it left, but I wouldn't count that possibility out. I don't know if a Muse is back for good or not. Time will tell on that one. I won't be purposefully inviting a new Muse to me. You never know what you will get when you do that! For now, I'm feeling hopeful.

Poem inspired by my former spirit Muse for his living loved one:

For **

He misses you angel
The sadness haunts him
Even beyond us now

Love strong and love long
He wants you to know
Even without him now

He guides you angel
The warm glow follows you
Even beside you now

Forget and be free
He wants you to know
Even without him now

He loves you angel
The wake of his soul comforts
Even beyond us now.