There are brilliant flashes that cross her eyes
like comets or lightning they seduce
the sight alone
races waves of ice across my flesh because
I’ve seen it before;
the hawk when he dives, claws poised for blood
a wolf howling at the darkness and the moon
a cougar, muscles coiled to leap, then tear and smother–
Diana, she is
in all of them, the huntress of the green forests
the brilliance in her eyes hits me like an arrow
and I stand transfixed, watch her come closer…
all around us
the heavy paws of her hounds draw nearer
and nearer
their earth-worn muzzles eating my scent
like a lover, almost

[In elementary school, Alexandra Seidel had a wonderful teacher who introduced her to the 12 labors of Hercules. This was the first Greek myth Alexandra ever read, and more followed later during five years of Latin at school, all of which left a deep impression on her mind and sometimes on her writing. Alexandra’s prose and poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Star*Line, Labyrinth Inhabitant Magazine, New Myths and others. Every once or twice, Alexandra blogs. She is never quite sure about what. Better go see for yourself.]