Tuesday, December 2, 2008

A Trio of Gods

Here is a triptych of verses taken from a brilliant series of poems by Jenny Brown that profile the ancient gods of Greece. Taking a cue from Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale," we've chosen the gods of love, war, and chastity to start with. Enjoy these three for now...there will be more to follow!

Aphrodite

Lady love of many names,
Thine flowing gown is white.
Ever pictured just the same,
Men shall faint just at the sight.

Golden locks and ruby lips,
Thou walkest on Olympus proud,
Corrupting hearts of innocents
Down below the swirling clouds.

An arrow cast from cupid's bow
Strikes love into a lone man’s eyes.
A willful son to keep in tow,
But he will be forever thine.

Lady love, goddess of heart,
Flowers bloom beneath her step,
Alluring in each and every part,
For her grace many men have leapt.


Ares

The clang of steel
Welcomes him home.
His enemy reels,
And he stands alone.

Great god of war,
Noblest of deeds,
The red feel of gore--
What every man needs.

Hero and warrior, yet very misguided,
His godly parents think him a coward.
The feel of pain is too much, he decided
Vain of perfection, the thought overpowers.

The clang of knives
Follows the battle cry.
No matter lost lives,
War rage will never die.


Artemis

Beautiful huntress slipping through the night,
Among the trees of the forest wide.
Animals' paths and their prints seen by starlight
No person could follow if they tried.

She runs with the deer, one of their kind;
She hunts them with a silver bow,
With silent arrows guided by her mind
Painlessly they fall, lit by silver glow.

Goddess of the moon, under it she stays,
Daughter of the highest king.
With a brother bright as the sunny day,
Of her pureness men deign to sing.

Beautiful huntress with dark twinkling eyes,
Dark hair flowing, lit silver by the moon,
Protector of the young and shy,
Always dawn breaks too soon.