Me,
the bouncer at night
serving the speakeasy
with muscles
toned to perfection
Me,
through daytime
cleaning
my master’s warehouses
or capturing,
slaying the beasts
of the backstreets, protecting
in the name
of my family
& my godfather father
Me,
a hero,
defender and foe
by the reader’s
perspective
still invites you
to moonshine and girls
but behave
or I might enforce
an exit into the night.
Today Dora invites us to present something familiar in a an unfamiliar way at dVerse. We are left with many options and I opted to use a familiar myth in a new environment. Why don’t we let Hercules be a bouncer and muscle man in the service of a mobster father (Zeus).
February 4, 2025
Björn Rudbergs writings 
I can picture Hercules being outside a bar in a posh area as a bouncer at night 😀 gorgeously rendered, Bjorn 💙💙
Ha.. I had fun writing it.
Why do I have a feeling Hercules would love being a bouncer and enforcer just the way you’ve reimagined him?! The repetition of the pronoun at the beginning of each stanza is brilliant: just the rhetoric of a tough guy ready to throw a punch. A Herculean monologue indeed, Björn.
I really enjoyed doing it… so much easier than most of the other mythical element. He would fit right in I believe.
what a great reworking for Hercules – yes he could certainly bounce a few
And he would enjoy it
Hercules in the modern-day bar scene. Very clever and well done!
I know that guy! He’s the lug who said, “and don’t come back, clown!” after hawking me out into the night’s spittoon. Last 5 lines are perfect – every entrance to boozy floozy Byzantium needs a brutal gatekeeper.
I would be scared of him! Great reimagining, Bjorn!
I like the creativity in this piece. Nicely done Bjorn.
Nice write Björn!
First highly original take on the theme given, strong, muscly semantics, very cleverly done and delight to read .
Thank you, I do like yours as well, though it makes me so sad.
Yes, I agree I could see Hercules hanging outside the nightclubs as a bouncer.
This is so inspired, portraying Hercules as bouncer and muscle man at Zeus the mobster’s speakeasy, Björn! The repetition of ‘me’ is very effective, focusing the reader on the speaker, but also making him sound like ‘Me Tarzan, you…’, and showing that he is only interested in his ‘muscles toned to perfection’ and violence: ‘slaying the beasts of the backstreets’. I wouldn’t like to meet him in a dark alley.
I’d like to set him a series of tasks.
Ha! Yes, best behave near that hulk! A fun reimagining, Bjorn.
This made me smile. An interesting new view of Hercules!
This is an interesting poem, Bjorn. I think it would be like this in a job as a bouncer or personal bodyguard. A great choice of photograph.
That was fantastic, Bjorn!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
creativity at its best. And you’ve put him in just the right setting Björn. I bet he doesn’t know how much he would have liked it now. So cool. Lovely. Thanks.
Great take on the prompt Bjorn, I too feature statuary…
This part stands out, as it does with most tough guys:
Me,
a hero,
defender and foe
by the reader’s
perspective
Perfect! Who better than Hercules as a bouncer. I am sure he would have loved the job.
The modern day Hercules, telling us like it is. Nice take on the prompt.