Churst Apollo

                        Think on it!
                        In the beginning
            Had not occurred such thing as mortal Death.

Walked hand in hand our new Maide children the sweetest aisles of perfect earth 
Risen there its soil, spread holy stock organic membrane woven round.

            Devised his curse, Apollo,
            Set Man against The Woman
            Descendants human kine.
            Yet had not early surged such enmity between the genders,
            Persecuted first, The Queen of Heaven.
            Aphollowed only after. . .
            Churst and Massacred, The Woman.

Reached to genocide, the earthly state of war between divided sexes. 
Yet never existed true schism, except was thing contrived in heaven.

            Now Male and Female are conditioned equal,
            Denying both, their maker Goddess.

            He bruises heel, Apollo:
            'Upon your seed, my venmity 
            Serpent Worman! Repent!' 
            Harries her, Impalla-Acchus,
            Self-proclaimed was Jealous God
            Impelled the rancor ancient.
            As perceives the beauty envied Maide New Human. . .
            Sets about its persecution.

            Twinned progeny was Io's,
            Derogates as produce hardly more than beasts the fields
            That cause henceforward
            Vengeful mayhem and destruction.

Copyright © 2002 by Joyce James. This poem is an excerpt from the book-length narrative poem Noter Damus, published by Ladan Reserve Press. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.