Ariadne - Rosalie Hendon

Red string
like rose petals
like blood

She clasps her hands,
laces her fingers together,
stares at the string disappearing into darkness.

At the other end:
a betrayal of blood
with a sword she chose herself:

Lover hacking the bull head
from her brother’s body.
And another betrayal within that one.

She doesn’t know her lover,
whistling in the twisting maze for courage,
will betray her in turn.
Abandon her on an island,
sail back to Athens without her.
Marry her sister instead.

She doesn’t know that this moment
(brother in labyrinth’s heart
lover, hunting)
is one she will look back at,
the moment she was most complete.

Originally published by Change Seven Magazine 2021

Rosalie Hendon (she/her) is an environmental planner living in Columbus, Ohio. Her work is published in Change Seven, Pollux, Willawaw, Write Launch, and Sad Girls Club, among others. Rosalie is inspired by ecology, relationships, and stories passed down through generations.