In order to uncover the secrets of the golden days,
And authenticate the myths they show in those classic plays,
I traveled all the way to Greece once.
Something which was a once in a lifetime’s chance.

Greece – The land which was a perfect mixture of the quad,
Tragedy, philosophy, romance and Gods.
Greece is known as the humble abode of miracles and queries,
Yeah, no! I ain’t inspired by the Percy Jackson series.

I used to take shelter under a tree,
To escape the wrath of Apollo’s heat.
I visited Delphi where the oracles recited Apollo’s prophecies.
The cracks and crevices lock in them, tons of mysteries.

Astounded and mesmerized by the place,
My days in Greece passed in a daze.
But there’s one night I remember really well,
Which is locked and protected in my mind’s prison cell.

It was a night I couldn’t really sleep,
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find any peace.
I was in my hotel bed reading a Greek theological Book,
When the Earth beneath me suddenly shook.

The shimmering moonlight danced across the room,
Suddenly, a lady stood before me, as pretty as the moon.
Wearing a flowy dress, wielding a moon shaped spear,
Her choice of ride was a gigantic deer.

Her sable colored hair & a frown on her face,
Left me in a state of momentary daze.
A diamond tiara sat atop her head.
Her hair shining like golden pieces of thread.

“And who might you be, lady?” I dared ask,
Her chilling glare in response, to me looked like a mask.
A mask which might’ve fooled all but me.
Everything she hid, I wanted to set free.

“I’m Diana. Or Artemis as you might know me.” She said.
Millions of thoughts rushed through my head.
Did I really have the Moon goddess standing before my eyes?
Doesn’t a man who sees a God’s true form, dies?

She must’ve seen the questions in my expression,
Because she was quick to create a distraction.
“Don’t hurt your brain cells by pondering so much.”
Her hand on my shoulder, was like a feather’s touch.

I shook my head to clear it,
While I gestured for Artemis to sit.
Weary of the bow and arrow she adorned,
Her warrior ways made me fall even more hard.

She took a seat at the edge of my bed,
“So? What are you doing here?” I said.
“You saw me ascending from the moon, so I had to come.” She shrugged.
Her careless attitude had me bugged.

Her silver eyes captivated my soul,
My thudding heart was on a roll.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of her,
I was sedated and she was like my personal brand of liquor.

We talked for a while,
Our conversation as long and deep as the Nile.
Whenever she spoke, I was star struck,
And I wondered, if this is what it felt like to be in love.

I admired the way her hair shone in the dark,
And the way her eyes held that spark.
After some time I had the courage to confess,
My sudden yet true love, for the gorgeous miss.

“Your eyes.” I said, “They remind me of lightning,
Something about them, is playing with my heart’s string.
Your eyes captivate my soul,
Not matter how much time I spend with you, I'm still craving for more!”

“What!?” She seethed, clutching her bow,
I said, “Magic of Love at first sight, you know?”
She scoffed, “I don’t believe in love at first sight!
This is where exaggeration reaches it’s height.”

A little hurt at facing such brutal rejection,
My expressions reflected my utter dejection.
“Listen” She started, “It’s complicated.”
“Love isn’t the only thing you need to feel satiated.”

Though her lips knitted their own tapestry,
Her eyes told an altogether different story.
Her eyes held pain, centuries old,
I know what I said next, was a little bold.

“Your mouth can weave all these lies,
But I see the truth, crystal clear in your eyes.”
“You wish someone would love you for you!
You just don’t know who to give your heart to.”

Listening to my allegations, she seemed quite shocked.
On the balls of her feet, she rocked.
“But I’m not meant to be loved.” She softly whispered.
Probably hoping I didn’t hear.

Confused, I questioned, “What do you mean, Artemis?”
Frustrated, she shrieked, “Do you go around falling for your enemies?”
“I’m not who you think I seem to be,"
“There’s more to my story, than your eyes can see.”

“Do you know how the moon was really formed?” She posed a question.
“It was a result of Earth and another planet’s collision.”
“How can someone, who was the result of a clash?
Be someone’s ideal match?”

She ran a hand through her long hair,
Something about her statements, didn’t seem fair.
“When I couldn’t even stay with my Twin Apollo,
What makes you think, it’s your mortal love I could swallow?”

“Earth and moon, they always repel!
It’s like they are bound by an eternal spell.”
“So far, yet so near,
Accept it! I can never be yours, dear!”

“I’m a warrior with a heart of stone!
You think you can make it bleed all on your own?”
“I’m not meant to love or be loved!”
“I wish things were a little different but they aren’t!” She shrugged.

“What is love to you?” I calmly asked.
Her face now showed emotions, which she earlier masked.
It was her chance to look puzzled.
Her brain seemed to be a little muddled.

“When you guide those weary souls at night,
When you shine and give them light.”
“When you craft those people’s dreams,
When you muffle their terrified screams.”

“When they pray to you for their well being at night,
And you bless them all, by burning so bright.”
“Fighting and warding off the monsters of the dark,
Your bow and arrow, never misses it’s mark!”

“Despite being so far from the Earth,
You’re the one who influence the cycle of birth.”
“Waves and days, are all because of your presence,
Sweetheart, the world will perish in your absence.”

“Your love for humanity does not have a bound!
Your true purpose of life, is the love that you’ve found.”
“It’s okay, if you can’t ever be mine.”
“I will still remember you, every time I see the crescent moon shine.”

Her hands wrapped around me in an embrace.
And the world around me, began to fade.
“Thank you!” She whispered from afar,
The next thing I knew, I woke up in the dark.

I checked my book to see what I was reading,
I wondered if it was just my imagination screaming.
I looked at what I read before being lulled to sleep,
The page narrated how, for love, Artemis weeps.

Till this day, I don’t know whether it was real or a surreal dream,
Whatever it was, it was nothing short of a light beam.
After months, even today, before I go to sleep,
I’m always in my thoughts, knee deep!

Every time when I’m out in the night,
I can sense Artemis’s presence in the moonlight.
Yes! I’m deeply and irrevocably in love with a Goddess.
I always remember her with this inexplicable fondness.

She’s spent her life in Apollo’s shadow,
Simmering the brightness of her own halo!
So to bring the mysteries of Artemis to light,
Here’s my ode to the moon goddess, the one who owns the night.

Forums: 

Reviews

No reviews yet.