br />This maze of languished torment
Every turn compounds confusion

The son of Pasiphae waits in twisting labyrinthian tunnels
Ready to cut the string of order by which one strides

Like the son of Pasiphae, poet Michael Finelli keeps readers suspended in the beginning of his debut poetry collection, The Tears of Pan. We're caught in a world consumed by despair and loathing, longing for hope and light. To find our way out of this maze, we must recognize and overcome the war waging inside all of us.

Wrought with myth and storytelling, The Tears of Pan delves into Greek tragedies to explore humanity's depths and self-deceptions. From Prometheus and Pan to Persephone and Hades, mythology becomes the backdrop for our daily struggles to play out against. These narrative and free verse poems are rich with symbolism and metaphor, crafted to juxtapose myth and reality, what we tell ourselves and what is true. While this collection encourages us to accept our personal truths, it is also a warning: "Time slithers, a scythe in the tall grass." We have a choice: succumb to hatred and endure our lives in cruelty, or embrace kindness and live peacefully.

Depression, fear, self-loathing, love-no matter the century or place, our complex emotions and suffering unite us. The Tears of Pan is a journey through darkness into light, sorrow into hope. It is the exploration of this deeply human journey that makes these poems timeless.