Athena

Dear woman:
pick me as your patron deity.

Because I was born
in armour
and no man has ever cracked it.

Because I invented the bridle
and taught men to tame horses
(to distract them from tying up whores,
the bastards).

I allow men to rake the earth
but never to plough my body;
I’ll help Odysseus, Jason and Heracles but
never consort nor marry.

I’m the Virgin Goddess not because
I support
rules of sexual modesty and ritual mystery
(a failing of recorded history),

but because no man ever interested me.

They call me she who fights in front
and don’t forget it.

You don’t believe in such things
as goddesses;
but I’ve wars to make up for,
I want to help the women I’ve ignored.
Well, no more.

Pick me as your patron deity
and I will show you how men really are,
how much farther we could fall.

(Pick me and we will overthrow them all.)

 

Image: Dennis Jarvis

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12243379_10153753500533817_3842229911525841492_nMelissa Wellham works in social media by day, and writes science-fiction by night. You can follow her on Twitter at @melissawellham

One Comment

  • Lorese vera commented on January 22, 2016 Reply

    I love this poem especially in the way it poses the idea that the virgin goddess is not virtuous … that old moralistic idea, but just bored by men I have a similar poem … a very angry one called Deviant Daughter where I rail against the Judeo Christian god I was brought up with … we were taught to call him father. Fuck off, he is no father of mine the cruel old lecher!

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