they say we are mythical SUSAN HAWTHORNE
they say we are mythical by that they mean we
do not exist but if we are so mythical why have
they made huge sculptural forms of us and their
other enemies on their most sacred temple
kill Greeks and Greeks kill Amazons the Athenians
remember four great wars the war of the giants
the war between the Lapiths and Centaurs the war
against the Trojans and the war against the Amazons
four huge walls of sculpted marble they call us
barbarians because they hear us say bar bar when we
speak anyone they don’t understand is a barbarian
it’s the same at the eastern edge where the Saka live
they say of them that they sound like a person
vomiting when they speak these man-dominated
peoples have no interest in anything but themselves
do not exist but if we are so mythical why have
they made huge sculptural forms of us and their
other enemies on their most sacred temple
we are
depicted in the Amazonomachy where Amazons kill Greeks and Greeks kill Amazons the Athenians
remember four great wars the war of the giants
the war between the Lapiths and Centaurs the war
against the Trojans and the war against the Amazons
four huge walls of sculpted marble they call us
barbarians because they hear us say bar bar when we
speak anyone they don’t understand is a barbarian
it’s the same at the eastern edge where the Saka live
they say of them that they sound like a person
vomiting when they speak these man-dominated
peoples have no interest in anything but themselves
Susan Hawthorne is a poet, novelist and publisher who lives and works on Djiru Country. She is the author of nine poetry collections and her recent books include the novel, Dark Matters, and the poetry collection, The Sacking of the Muses. Her book, Cow, was shortlisted for the Audre Lorde Poetry Prize and the Kenneth Slessor Poetry Prize.