O Goddess, O Gorgon whom Algol begems
As emerald malefic on grim diadems,
O tear off your tunic by seams and by hems —
Medusa! Medusa! deliver your dread!

O Goddess, O Gorgon with serpentine hair,
Who turns all my lust unto stone with your stare,
I willingly wander inside of your lair —
Medusa! Medusa! deliver your dread!

O Goddess, O Gorgon with parted red lips
And fangs whence the venom of nightmare oft drips,
From blood-founts of horror my spirit oft sips —
Medusa! Medusa! deliver your dread!

O Goddess, O Gorgon, Medusa by name,
O Lilith’s own sister, O temptress untame,
O queen of dark Shakti ignite the black flame! —
Medusa! Medusa! deliver your dread!

O Goddess, O Gorgon, benighted I bow
Before your fair image and snake-woven brow!
O gaze on me, Gorgon, O gaze on me now! —
Medusa! Medusa! deliver your dread!

— After “The Benighted Path,” by Richard Gavin

[K. A. Opperman is a writer of Gothic and fantastic poetry from southern California. His work has appeared in numerous magazines and journals, and his debut book-length collection, The Crimson Tome (Hippocampus Press, 2015), is currently available in paperback from all major online retailers.]