Helen of Troy
i pity you, a helen without a troy to destroy. no ships to set sail, no men to curse your name.
oh, helen, without a
troy to destroy you cave–inwards. your walls crumble.
every lie you spun between
your hands falls apart.
flowers once blossomed between your palms but now all you
can conjure is dust.
you have no purpose here:
you refuse to
learn from your mistakes.
how many times do you need
to kiss the flames to not get burned again? odes to your beauty but never about
the three fates,
cursed to die beneath a loveless man; were you ever tempted to scar your face?
Mecca-Amirah Jackson 