A Greek Myth – Ross Cogan

The George Crabbe Memorial Poetry Competition
2003 Crabbe Memorial Competition – Second Prize
Adjudicator: Alison Chisholm

According to Aristophanes we were
double people in the gilded age.
Four arms and legs we cartwheeled through the tumbling air,

affronted Olympus with our circus grace,
grew arrogant. The grave Gods punished us
with exile from ourselves, and cut roughly in rage

we trudged the land, our hungry entrails bruised
and comic, searching for our missing halves.
Meanwhile hte skin closed over, scars re-knit, ribs eased

and twisted into different drums, new shells.
only an old wound tells us that the lake
of a lover’s body hides an image of ourselves.

Copyright © Ross Cogan 2003