A mortal never challenges the gods. Weak and raw in the flesh.
At least not intentionally with jealous or spite.
But something unquestionable. Undoubtable.
Unasked for by human. Gifted instead.
Bestowed upon woman a treasure indeed.
One that no man, mortal or god,
Could question.
Beauty in the form of woman who walks the earth.
A beauty that only one woman possessed.
But a beauty no woman should.
And the gods took notice of such unseen things
Until beautiful Psyche in all that she was,
Became the object of fascination to another beautiful one.
And no one more fair than the god herself of beauty and love.
Suddenly a threat to Aphrodite above.
But gods don’t play games with those of the earth.
So a son was sent to send harm Psyche’s way, by forcing her love on most unfavorable of men.
But one careless slip, causing the irreversible prick,
And now Eros was captured by Psyche’s love.
Unintentionally. Undoubted.
But a mortal and a god cannot long intertwine.
For her eyes were not allowed to rest upon the god who loved her.
And once again Psyche challenged the heavens with a gaze to her love.
And just as quickly as he had become obsessed
Abandonment soon was all that he left.
But Psyche now was familiar enough to challenge the gods, mother of love.
Intentional. But still undoubted.
And challenges Aphrodite did deliver.
Ones that no mortal should ever have been capable of.
But Psyche was driven by love, and unquestionable beauty.
And no challenge went unmet.
And soon not even the gods
Could question or doubt
That Psyche was worthy of the heavens themselves,
And the god of beauty was forced to admit
That soul is stronger than skin and flesh.
Psyche was no longer bound to such things.
But instead with the gods invited was she.
And soul became separate from the mind.
Sometimes it serves to play with the gods.
Emily Grodin is an autistic young adult who is minimally speaking. When she was 25 years old, she began communicating via an iPad. For the first time in her life, she was able to share her inner thoughts, hopes, dreams and reflections on her life with those who loved her. She immediately emerged as a talented poet and essayist. Her memoir I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust (April 2021 HarperCollins) co-written with her mother, Valerie Gilpeer, details her struggles and journey as a woman with non-verbal autism.
Emily is currently a college student studying journalism, psychology and creative writing, and is a staff writer for her college newspaper. Emily is a proud advocate for herself and members of her community in an effort to dispel the misconceptions and nonacceptance of those who have verbal communication challenges. She has been recognized by the California Legislature as well as the City of Los Angeles for her contribution to the community. In October 2021 she was honored by The Learning Rights Law Center in Los Angeles with this year’s Advocate Award.
