Kallisti

Outside the closed window,
I feel the warm breeze bellowing
beneath my skirt.

I do not envy those inside.
Mischief from I always gives a smile
to me. One word begins the trouble.

"To the most beautiful" it says, I laugh.
I watch in the shadows as they
all claim the prize for themselves.

Poor mortal man must choose which
one not I. So when they each give
a bribe, they do not truly think.

I am not to blame. I made no
promises. I gave no bribes.
Petty selfishness began this war.

A face that launched a thousand
ships. A mortal woman. She promised
this gift to be named Kallisti.

They each thought of bribes to win
the honor of the golden apple. But
they forget who it belonged to first

This poem is the voice of Eris, The goddess of Chaos and Discord. It takes place on mount Olympus, just before the Trojan war. Zeus has thrown a party and did not invite Eris. A grave mistake. Eris produces a golden apple with the word Kallisti engraved upon the side. This means "to the most beautiful one", and throws it into the ballroom from an outside window. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all wanted the apple for themselves. Zeus not wanting to choose which was more beautiful told Paris a mortal that he must. Hera offered him a good family and happy home life, Athena, offered success and glory in battle, and lastly Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful mortal woman. Paris choose Aphrodite, and as his prize he was given Helen of Troy to be his wife. Helen was "the face that launched a thousand ships", and so the Trojan war began.

[Rainbow Line]