Artemis is the virgin

she is the huntress
she turned Acteon into a stag
I say, Artemis purifies

she is the huntress
the goddess of bloodletting
I say, Artemis purifies
take me to the river

the goddess of bloodletting
oversees the rite of the virgin
take me to the river
winding through our psyches

overseeing the rite of the virgin
Artemis is a bringer of light
winding through our psyches
I say, Artemis purifies

Artemis is a bringer of light
like her brother Apollo
I say, Artemis purifies
as the Maiden of the Silver Bow

like her brother Apollo
Artemis is a healer or a bringer of death
as the Maiden of the Silver Bow
she is a moon goddess

Artemis is a healer or a bringer of death
On Olympus, she is not a triple-goddess
she is a moon goddess
her actions reflect the light of the soul

on Olympus, she is not a triple-goddess
but she always is
her actions reflect the light of the soul
Artemis is a soul shaker

she always is
light that excites the blood
Artemis is a soul shaker
Orion sees, he is shot like an arrow

light that excites the blood
the flood that beauty is
Orion sees, he is shot like an arrow
I say, Artemis purifies

the flood that beauty is
connects the Nile to the Milky Way
I say, Artemis purifies
mother & crone

connect the Nile to the Milky Way
Artemis is a virgin
who is mother & crone
she turned Acteon into a stag


Bill Vartnaw
© 2007

 [1] A pantoum is a series of interwoven quatrains derived from a Malay verse form, the pantun. In this form, lines 2 and 4 of each stanza will be repeated as lines 1 and 3 of the following stanza. There is no limit for the length of the lines nor for the number of stanzas, although often the paired lines are rhymed. In the final stanza lines 1 and 3 of the initial stanza can close the circle of the poem.