Tochni, Cyprus, May 22, 2005

Published in the Journal, The Greek and Cypriot Notebook

Ritual Objects Collected for Aphrodite’s Altar

Milk
Honey
Wine
Olive oil
Water
Flowers
Shells
An altar cloth
Ribbons
Lighters x 2
Candles
Plates
Cups
Round cakes
Bells, bowls, and drums.

On the Path to Aphrodite’s Rock, Cyprus

The improvised
brush of lips,
the arch of her hip,
her fingers pressed
into my neck,
these simple
fragile pleasures
stolen in the shadows,
as snowflakes melt
before they hit the ground.

Today after we finished our ritual on the beach on Cyprus where Aphrodite is thought to have come ashore, a woman I didn’t recognize came up to me and said “1 want to tell you that there are revealed angels, and you are one of them. I’ve only recently come to understand that I am one as well, so this is very new to me, but I thought I’d let you know that you are one too because we can recognize each other. See,” she said, “you wanted to meet your guardian angel, right, you wanted proof? Well, here’s your proof. You’re Layne’s Guardian Angel. That’s who you are. Isn’t that ironic?”