Amechania - By Dominique McLean

Written By: Dominique McLean

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the heart of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Dominique McLean, writing as Amechania, offers a deeply moving piece titled "Amechania." This evocative poem, submitted under the Poetry category, takes the reader on a profound journey through the landscape of grief and the struggle for acceptance. Drawing on Greek mythology and rich emotional imagery, McLean skillfully navigates the complexities of human emotion, crafting a narrative that resonates with universal themes of helplessness and enduring hope.

About the Work

"Amechania" eloquently explores the stages of grief, weaving through emotions like helplessness, anger, and acceptance. Dominique McLean's use of Greek mythological figures adds depth and a timeless perspective to the narrative. The poem is a tapestry of vivid imagery and raw emotion, capturing the essence of what it means to navigate sorrow and find peace within it. Through reflective language and a contemplative tone, McLean offers a poignant meditation on the power of acceptance.

Amechania

Original Submission by Dominique McLean

Amechania

If I don’t say her name, she won’t sit beside me.

The Greek goddess of helplessness. A word the Greeks once used, for want of means, for the inability to act. Not the grief itself, but what happens when you’re inside grief

and can’t move through it yet.

Ἀπάτη

Meaning that you’re not truly gone, and my life remains the same, because your eyes will grace mine tomorrow.

And the day after that right?

I tell myself this like a prayer I don’t believe.

I keep remnants of you scattered across my life, as if you’ll come back to collect them.

Apátē paints the cracks with light, whispers that nothing has changed. My mind is protecting my spirit with false calm.

Θυμός

The numbness brings to break. Anger rushes in, and clouds every thought. I feel furious. Furious at myself, furious at my friends, furious at God. Why would He take you away from me?

I feel so irrationally angry at anything that dares to move forward whilst i remain stuck.

Why must I sit in this silence

while the world keeps spinning?

I shout, I scream.

I slam the door on the wind’s face,

curse the sunrise for daring to come back.

I know this isn’t logic.

It’s the ache looking for somewhere to go.

It’s the wild heart trying to find its rhythm again.

Thumos isn’t just rage. She’s the pulse that refuses to die. She says, “If I can feel fury, I can still feel.”

Ἐλπίς

This is the stage of “what if” and “if only”.

What if I paid more attention? If only I spent more time with you.

I begin to negotiate, with fate, with memory, with God.

“God, if i do this, will you bring them back to me?”

I know it’s futile, but hope is stubborn, she doesn’t know how to die.

Elpis whispers promises you know aren’t real, but you listen anyway, because hope is softer than silence.

Λύπη

The fight has drained out of me.

I stop asking for change, I just sit in the ache.

I give up. It’s futile.

Days feel heavy. I feel this emptiness that nothing can fix.

It’s not weakness; it’s exhaustion. It’s the point where the loss sinks in, fully.

A sense of helplessness envelopes me, detached, or indifferent, this is Amechania’s deepest embrace.

Lipi doesn’t demand anything. She just holds you while you stop pretending it’s fine.

Ἀνάγκη

Acceptance isn’t happiness.

It’s not even “moving on.”

It’s just a quietness,

an awkward silence that settles, that says: “Okay. I understand.“

I stop trying to resist it, I let it exist beside me.

Peace finds me there, not because it doesn’t hurt anymore, but because I've stopped fighting the hurt.

Anánkē doesn’t ask you to smile. She just takes your hand and says, “We go on.”

And through all of this, Amechania, helplessness, is the undercurrent.

She’s the thread running through every stage:

you can’t change it, you can’t undo it, but you can learn to breathe inside it.

And now that I’ve said her name,

she sits beside me

as a reminder.

Quiet and patient,

even when I cannot move.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious event celebrating the power of words and creativity. It gathers talented writers from around the globe, providing a platform to express diverse voices and stories. Participants showcase their unique literary talents in categories like Poetry, Short Story, and Creative Writing, contributing to a rich tapestry of contemporary literature.

We extend our gratitude to Dominique McLean for sharing "Amechania" with the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your poignant exploration of grief and acceptance has touched many. Thank you for your contribution and for allowing us to experience the depth and beauty of your poetic expression.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.