#HookedOnPoetry: Featuring “Medusa’s Mirror” by Ashley Dioses
A couple of days ago I announced in an essay the start of my HOOKED ON POETRY project, in celebration of National Poetry Month. It was posted both on my site Oh, for the Hook of a Book! and here at Kendall Reviews. KR is partnering with me to host and share pieces I’ve accepted and curated (thank you Gavin!). If you missed it, you can find it HERE.
This project will carry throughout May and that will allow time for pieces in support of Mental Health Awareness Month as well. Please join us in sharing things on social media with the hashtag #HookedonPoetry. There will be outstanding reprint poems from collections, stellar original poetry, reviews and articles on poetry, and more coming everyone’s way now and throughout May.
Today, I welcome established dark poetress Ashley Dioses. With many credits to her name, Ashley also had a poem included on Ellen Datlow’s full recommended Best Horror of the Year Volume Seven list and was also a nominee for the 2019 Pushcart Prize.
Enjoy,
Erin Al-Mehairi
Medusa’s Mirror
Ophidian locks coiled round her pretty head;
Despairing softly, they hissed in her ears.
Medusa stood, her heart all full of dread,
In front of her cracked mirror, full of tears.
Her green veil fluttered gently from the gusts
Forever flowing through her darksome cave;
She heard more men with spears, designed to thrust,
And to thrust true, to send her to her grave.
The warriors of the gods sought her cursed eyes,
But she would not be weak to gods or men.
With a shrill hiss, she tore her veil’s silk ties—
It drifted to the floor of her old den.
She, clad in marble, watched with a blind stare
When the men failed and left her cold, dead lair.
Originally published in Xnoybis Issue 2 by Dunhams Manor Press
Ashley Dioses
Ashley Dioses is a writer of dark fantasy, horror, and weird poetry from southern California. Her debut collection of dark traditional poetry, Diary of a Sorceress, was released from Hippocampus Press in 2017. Her second collection of early works, The Withering, is forthcoming from Gehenna and Hinnom Books. Her poetry has appeared in Weird Fiction Review, Spectral Realms, Weirdbook Magazine, and elsewhere. Her poem “Carathis,” appeared in Ellen Datlow’s full recommended Best Horror of the Year Volume Seven list. She was also a nominee for the 2019 Pushcart Prize. She is currently an Active Member in the HWA and a member of the SFPA. Aside from writing, her other passions include martial arts and delving into esoteric and occult studies.
Ashley blogs at www.fiendlover.blogspot.com/
Find Ashley’s full work bibliography HERE
You can follow Ashley on Twitter @adioses14
Enjoy poems from SF & F from Marge Simon at Oh, for the Hook of a Book yesterday and stay tuned for more upcoming poetry. Thanks for reading!
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