The Mythological Mischief and Origins of Twins Gemini

 

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The Mythological Mischief and Origins of Twins Gemini

The Spartan Queen Leda, 

Attracted many an eye, 

Both mortal and immortal, 

From the land or Mount Olympus in the sky. 

Zeus changed shape, 

Approached Leda as a beautiful swan. 

He seduced the Spartan Queen, 

Which led to an expecting phenomenon. 

Instead of one bun, 

Her oven had two, 

Immortally handsome Pollux and knockout Helen of Troy, 

Or, “Oh, what Trojan battles will ensue!” 

Beautiful twins, 

One with beauty that would drive all men mad, 

The other could physically knock others out. 

Boxer skills, more than looks he had. 

On the same night, mortal man Tyndareus, 

Fathered the other twin set, 

Mortal Castor and Clytemnestra, 

Matching first name letters is where familial similarity frets. 

Castor, the skilled horseman, 

Close with his immortal brother, 

Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife, 

Until murder became her whim with her lover another. 

Clytemnestra invited Aegisthus into her bed, 

While husband Agamemnon was away at war. 

Agamemnon, the Commander of Greek forces, 

Once home, did not expect to become a subject of gore. 

However, in the end, Clytemnestra, 

Did not emerge from her misdeeds unscathed. 

Her son Orestes with sister Electra, 

Conspired and murdered her, as punishment for how she misbehaved. 

Elsewhere and elsewhen, twin battles ensue, 

Castor and Pollux battled men two, 

Over two women, 

And a terrible nightmare came true. 

Mortal Castor was stabbed, 

By Lynceus with a sword, 

Pollux was devastated, 

A request from his heart poured. 

Pollux approached Zeus, 

Told him the loss of Castor cut him like a knife. 

He asked to share his immortality with his brother, 

Because their bond was larger-than-life. 

Zeus sent both brothers, 

Up to the starry sky, 

To traverse the Heavens together, 

Becoming the twins Gemini.

Planet Moon Sandwich with a Side of Gemini

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Poet's Notes:

I wrote this poem for a Poetry Soup contest titled Myth & Memory. The contest required participants to include the original source material in the poem's title and description, which proved somewhat difficult with a free-level Poetry Soup membership. The challenge itself involved creating a poetic retelling of mythology or legendary origins with a limit of 50 lines and/or 350 words.

Interestingly, I had already been working on a poetry manuscript centered on constellations and asterisms, incorporating the mythology and astrological lore associated with them. As a result, this contest arrived at an especially fitting time. While writing this poem, I even began comparing it to another poem I had written about the same mythological figures for that manuscript.

Although I did not place in the Myth & Memory contest or win the manuscript contest, I am still proud that I submitted my work for consideration. Putting creative work out into the world takes courage, and I genuinely enjoyed exploring mythology and space lore through poetry.

Life deserves more celebration for the act of creating itself - and besides, space will always be cool.