Girl on Fire

Girl on Fire

I walk past Poseidon every day
The powerful boy who is adored by everyone
The boy who is praised for his ability and strength

I walk past Poseidon and he looks at me a scowls
He looks at the gray snakes on my head and laughs
The snakes that are there because of him

I walk past Poseidon and I want to run and hide
The snakes were supposed to make me strong
So why do I feel so weak

I walk past Poseidon and I try not to cry
I speed up and look for my friends
Then I remember that he turned them against me

My walk turns to a run
He didn’t only abuse me
He stole my friends

I walk outside and look at my garden of stone
I see people that I once loved, people that once loved me
Frozen in stone, gone forever

I start to cry and I feel something fall from my head
It’s a flake of snake skin
The tears continue and the harder I cry the more skin falls from my snakes

I look at my reflection in a puddle
The snakes are still there
But they are no longer gray; they are on fire.

Poseidon sees me and yells in fear
I have found my strength again; he no longer has it
He has a hold on me no longer; I am brand new

Poseidon walks past me everyday at school
The girl who stands tall and smiles
The girl who doesn’t need praise because she is stronger now

Poseidon walks past me and I laugh
He looks at the flames atop my head and he knows the truth
I am not weak, I am Medusa