A Poem for a Thursday - Venus and Mars

Whilst trawling the interweb for possible AusReadingMonth poetry choices recently, I was thrilled to discover the Cordite Poetry Review. It has an abundance of local poets, some known to me already (like Ellen Van Neervan, Eileen Chong, Kim Mahood, John Kinsella, Kirli Saunders just to name a few), but many more new-to-me poets.

I still feel very tentative about poetry, but I'm keen to learn. It's exciting to find an online place that allows me to explore and experiment. To discover what I like and what I don't. A place I can revisit at my leisure.

During my recent exploration I also discovered someone I know. Alison, is the sister-in-law of my new boss. And I'm delighted that I can feature one of her poems during AusReadingMonth.

Venus and Mars
By Alison Gorman | 1 May 2017 | Cordite Poetry Review


Sandro Boticelli, c1485

Awake now. Remember our love
in the shade of a wild myrtle forest.
Your red, silk pallium softens our bed
of bracken and leaf. The air is cool here,
broken by swallow song and the hum
of wasps that swarm and crown
your abundant hair. I study your ecstatic
slumber-a sole crease of brow, an easy
parting of lips, your brave span of chest.
I want the burn of your eyes, the brine
of your skin. Far from bloodshed
and the din of battle, you abandon it all:
your lance, cuirass and beloved blue helmet.
Naked and fearless you surrender to me.
A little death that strands you oblivious
to lewd taunts of drunken satyrs. Fat bellied
with goat leg and horn they thieve, thrust
and sound a conch but still you do not stir.
This is no time for sleep. Gather your strength.
For I am your bright star and when you wake

I will ruin you again.


Jennifer @Holds Upon Happiness posts a lovely Poem for a Thursday each week. I enjoy sourcing poems from my recent reads to join in with her whenever I can.