Aphrodite Poem by Milton Johanides

One night I dreamt of Aphrodite on the shore
Goddess from the Cypriot west
Stained with the blood of her castrated father
Sperm like surf on the giant sea
Splashing on the Paphos coast
And Romeo´s stones
Like balls of steel emerging from the green depths
Greet her with their solid reassurance
And while her twisting body writhed
Wriggling through the mortal sand
Ready to enact the divine plan
Apollo on his chariot flew
And rained golden rays from a higher realm
To which she responded with quiet vacillation
And gave the god a mute salutation
Before going on her dutiful way
To find a meadow with bubbling stream
And shady trees
Where time is eternal and the hearts of men
Ring only with the rhyme of love.