Perseus

Izzy Roberts-Orr

Dull as an axe, and just as heavy. Michelangelo said

to find David, he just had to chip the stone that wasn’t him

away. My mother carved me, with all her hope. Locked

in an empty room all those years. My father gold rain,

leaking through the ceiling to ravish her. I take after him—

blinding bright, and then gone. All these hungry, lonely

women. Locked in basements, cave-dwelling, spell-binding.

Lashed to the cliff’s edge waiting for me to sail over

and save them. We dash around saving them from other men,

we heroes. Slashing everything in sight. Cutting the world

into the shape of a smile. Bloody and upright, my sword

is never in its sheath. The gods only rescued me out of

pity. They thought it would be more fun this way.

IZZY ROBERTS-ORR is a poet and arts worker based on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country. Her debut collection, Raw Salt (Vagabond, 2024) was the recipient of a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship, Bundanon Residency, Marten Bequest Scholarship, and longlisted for the Colorado Prize for Poetry. Her work in progress is Medusa is a Modern Woman. She is Creative Producer for Red Room Poetry.