For Khione by Shelly Jones
Did Eumolpus cry, his infantile
lungs constricted by the icy
waters when his mother flung him
into the ocean, saving him
from Boreas, the devouring one?
Or did Poseidon’s son stretch
his cherubic arms, embrace his bitter
inheritance, and transform sea into snow
as he skimmed the waves, obscuring
Khione’s tears falling silently to shore?
Shelly Jones (she/they) is a Professor of English at SUNY Delhi, where she teaches classes in mythology, folklore, and writing. Her speculative work has previously appeared in Podcastle, New Myths, The Future Fire, and elsewhere. Find her on Twitter @shellyjansen.