Daughter of Zeus and Dione,
Aphrodite walks alone
not afraid to catch people's eye,
invisible as a goddess
smiling as she passes them by.

It is not just love she imbues
but lust and passion as a Muse
Cytherea to some, Cyprus too
all laying claim to you,
love, pleasure, procreation
her attributes drive a nation
for beauty is a weapon true.

And she becomes translucent
to be their inspiration as she went
to artists, musicians, dancers
to her acolytes at Acrocorinth
she'd bestow them answers,
just a fraction of her revealed
lest they go mad with adoration
caught in magnetism of her field.

Diaphanous dress flowing in air
clinging to her curvaceous body
hinting at what's there,
Olympus with its many Gods
has two others of equal measure
Hera and Athena both
but Aphrodite holds the treasure
of a golden apple cursed by an oath.

To a wedding all God's were invited
Peleus and Thetis were excited,
but for missing one name
that of Etris goddess of discord,
who with her resentment aflame
threw in a golden apple deliberately
imprinted at the ceremony
with the words "To The Fairest"
and only three beauties lay claim
urned to Zeus, he'd take the blame.

But Zeus couldn't decide
between his wife and daughters
as mediator let Hermes guide
them to mortal prince Paris of Troy,
let them put the blame on the boy
as each would offer something
to tempt him to their side,
and from Aphrodite it was Helene
the promise of a beauty as his bride.

It would lead to the Trojan War,
the fall of Troy and more
the others mingling in mortal affairs
wronged by a mere human
he who dares
declare which God is Fairest,
but Aphrodite declared this
smiles and knows she won,
the grace and charm come
together in one figure,
some may lay a claim to beauty
but hers is undoubtedly bigger.


© .Garry Saunders