Making Peace with Athena 

Fully armored at birth,

Daughter of wisdom,

Patron of arts,

Beautiful one,

Do you ever tire of standing on your own?

 

Do you ever get frustrated,

Tired of fighting?

 

Why are there no gods of both war and art?

Why were you not given a strong, caring man?

Do you ever want for someone to hold,

Someone to hold you?

 

I don’t understand why strong, capable, beautiful and talented

Seems to equal alone.

I have found something I don’t want to understand.

I don’t want to be alone.

 

I must learn to be at peace with myself

At peace with all the pieces

At peace alone

 

I do not want to be alone.

I understand that if I’m not at peace with myself

I’ll never be at peace with another.

Do I have to be alone to learn this?

There is no promise of companionship at the end.

You never had one.

Not that you didn’t have offers.

Not that you didn’t like children.

 

But you couldn’t accept those who were less than you

And couldn’t find those who were equal.

Not that you were perfect.

You tried to bribe Paris, too, but even he chose love over wisdom.

Do you ever wish you had that freedom?

 

And poor Arachne, presenting her perfect weaving

Why was she such a threat to you?

 

Why do I keep finding strong, capable, talented men that are already taken?

Am I just not ready?

Is the timing just wrong?

Are you keeping from me what you were never allowed?                                                   -ARCHEN