Book V

That very night, even as

she was still covered in

the blood of Pegasus,

Medusa led her love

to Athena’s temple.

Their eager hands pawing

at one another’s forms,

peeling away their clothes

with frantic ecstasy.

Before her own statue,

Lord Poseidon thrusted

his full measure into

enraptured Medusa,

ending her maidenhood.

Mighty waves crashed against

the shore in synch with the

divine lord of oceans.

Medusa moaned loudly.

Her mind flooded by dreams

of being Poseidon’s wife,

Athena’s own statue

torn down and her temple

gifted to Medusa,

the new Olympian.

Then Poseidon finished.

Medusa laid there in

ecstatic afterglow.

They nuzzled their faces

together in passion.

Then a white owl hooted.

With Bubo on shoulder,

an irate Athena

descended from on high.

Sea god and Medusa

rose to their feet laughing.

Medusa’s chuckle hissed.

“Oh? What will you do now,

miserable Wisdom?”

she snarled gleefully,

“What power do you have

over a divine king?”

But grey-eyed Athena

glared forward in silence,

her sorrow and fury

plain to the naked eye.

Then Poseidon bellowed

mightily in answer.

The longer his laugh went,

the more trepidatious

poor Medusa became.

The endless pit inside

of her deepened and grew.

At last Poseidon spoke.

“The high-whore-priestess of

scared virgin goddess!

Listen little mortal,

you are nothing to me

but venue for vengeance.

My impertinent niece

has needed correction

for far too long a time

She had forgotten her

place when she challenged me

for the right’s to Athens.

She further defied me

with callous victory.

But what is most perfect?

Indignant irony.

The sole reason you weren’t

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taken at my first whim

was your scorned protection

of one Lady Wisdom.

I was only tender

in my courtship of you

as to evade my own

brother’s retribution

for slighting his precious,

perfect, peerless, princess.

Behold the hurt and hate

blazing in her blue eyes.

Athena, that feeling

you feel is called ‘defeat’.

I couldn’t have done it

without you, Medusa.

You will never be queen

of any place or man,

but beware the fair skies

and tremble at thunder.

The gods will happily

have you as our own whore.”

With those cruel words, he left.

Medusa’s heart shattered

and she wept profusely.

Goddess and her priestess

lingered on in silence.

“Athena, I’m sorry!”

Medusa pleaded but

Athena was unmoved.

“Medusa,” the goddess

spoke, voice cracking with rage,

“Look upon this image

to witness your true self.”

Then Athena removed

cloth covering the shield.

In it’s reflection stood

a horrid serpentine woman

whose hair was a hissing,

deadly nest of vipers.

Her immaculate skin

became as slimy scales,

and her legs as a tail.

Medusa had become

the monster she always

feared was destined to be.

Medusa’s monstrous screams

echoed across Athens.

Then with bitter grimace,

Athena spoke to her.

“Fear not,” Athena said,

“Now no man, mortal or

divine shall ever touch

you again, my failure.”

Medusa was blinded

with broiling fury.

As she slithered away

all her eyes could witness

was the “jealous goddess”

who had betrayed her trust.

All living things became

stone in her sight because

nothing outside herself

had any further worth.

With her gorgon sisters,

horrid Medusa fled

to Serifos Island

where the three hid away

from the hated, cursed world

in a reclusive cave.

There they remained until

the day a hero came,

with the shield of reason,

to slay the dread monster

of vanity and set

free creativity.