Poetry

[Philomel]

something a bit different, Philomel expressing her existence and journey through free verse poetry.

I am not who you think I am.
Those who do not know me call me a whore
A floozy, a pirate, a witch,
A whore.
But a long time ago I became more than that.
A thousand suns ago I rose with the dawn.
It came, sunrise filled the skies and I -
I -
Was anew.
Turned, matured, awakened.
Days, weeks, months
Years I have searched, years I have grown
Becoming someone
Something else
Not just the girl in the brothel anymore, but
Instead
Other.
Me, a freeform poet,
The feminist, woman who only seeks freedom and fairness
Away from those others who would
Cruelly tie those like me down.
People like my father.
People like Hessiod.
People like -
Like you.

[Philomel]

This is my daughter.
People ask me to explain her. Define her.
But she is just her. Born, blessed, wanted.
And I, that mother who seems to not care, who seems to be so
Unloving.
This is my daughter.
Conceived after an idea
A night of drinking and a lack of passion.
My homosexual best friend her father
No attraction between us, just ...
Practicality.
He told me that he was best. That he would never want for anything. That any other man would use her to
To have a hold over me.
This is my daughter.
My heir
My world and future.
My legacy.
Celandine, my little blackbird,
My daughter.
Blessed by the goddess most holy.

[Philomel]

Battles many have I fought.
Both physically and mentally.
Both emotionally and in persuit of destiny.
Standing against
What was expected of me.
Being one who stood up
To those who sought to rule over me.
They said I was nothing but a whore for others' pleasure
But I
I
But I said no.
I said that I did not want to be
What so many had been before.
Instead of being raped, of being accepting of
A man's world
I said no and that power for a woman begins
In the bedchamber, where secrets are unfurled.
Thus I began as a spy
An assassin, a secret keeper, a charlatan.
An actor, a performer, a mystic,
Selling their secrets for gold.
Gold, my gold, which I then
Paid into the trade of my friends.
Their lives, I bought them back for them
And we danced like lilies bloom.
Gilded by the gold of those we betrayed
Beautiful flowers are we.

[Philomel]

These are the things I am, and have been.
I began as a daughter. A girl.
Scared, abused, secluded.
Then I was an apprentice, learning my mother's old trade, to survive.
Then I was a victim, a person who suffered and more.
Then I had a friend, who will be with me forevermore.
Then I was a killer, as a new ability came to light.
I trained, I joined a guild,
I came at night.
Then I was a table turner, as I struck out at the cruel man who owned me. Like my father he passed.
By my own hand.
Then I was an assassin and spy.
And I was a high end courtesan.
My abilities grew, my influence grew.
I became more.

[Philomel]

Traitor, they called me
Betrayer of trust.
I was placed to the side as coup-de-tat became the norm,
Named as one who could not be trusted.
All because I decided to serve my interests,
To raise a guild of my own.
One of secrets, one of life,
Whilst the assassins' sanctum was my home.
Then I became just me. Just me in my world.
My influence grew, my name grew.
I became a brothel-keeper, a saviour to some ...
A ship mate, then a -
Pirate Captain.
(That one still baffles me too.)
More brothels wanted my protection. My name grew famous.
Lover was I, but also secret keeper. Matron, warrior, sailor, killer, general ...
Matriarch.
I am Philomel of the Gilded Lily. We stand for female freedom.
You will find us in every safe brothel, where the women are respected. So respected that they own their own.
And I am a legacy, I am told.
I still have a ship, but now have a fortress, an army, a following.
I am a high priestess of my Goddess Drys,
And above all ...
I am a mother.

[Philomel]

Come, oh come, and
Try to intimidate me
I am fearless
I am strong
I stand for all that have suffered
I am woman incarnate
Who bends under the man's world
Oh yes, you can say that there's equality, but
There isn't, oh no,
It's still a man's realm
In his house, with his family,
Under his protection, with his hand to steady it
His word goes, and there are some women in power, but
Oh how they have fought
Oh how they have struggled
Oh how they have roared
Because I am a lioness, counting the days until
Women rule the world.

[Philomel]

Oh, oh, oh
I am a legacy
Oh, oh, oh, dancer
Dance for me
One day I'll be
Written in the stars
It is that or I'll be
Forgotten.
Oh, oh, oh
I'm a Prima Donna
Oh, oh, oh
I'm a flower in the spring
Oh, oh, oh
I am grateful to my past
I live for those who follow me
I am what they have made me
I am who I am.
I am who I always was.
I am who I am.

[Philomel]

One day soon I'll
Take over the world
Ha ha, how funny am I.
Though it is strange, as
The only man I can say I've ever loved
The only being I can say I've ever loved in that romantic way
He is now mine more than ever
I lived through so many trials before this
Including another heart that belonged to him
Oh how I broke in those days
How I mended back together, all hard and empty
Cruel and without mercy
How much anger did I direct at him as he -
As he, Shinsou, tried to steal my city
He was forgotten to me
His name forbidden in my presence
Oh how I hated him
How I hated to love him
He lived in my heart
Unwelcome
Such a fool was he
Such a fool was I
When he tried to take my city
Yes he tried to take my city
But then the fire rained from the heavens
And we - we
Suffered and almost died, oh sorrowful day
But then he, he -
Gave himself to me
And we gave ourselves to sin
Oh my, oh my, oh my
Beauty
He is mine, under oath to me, to my guild
At last

[Philomel]

Oh beloved, my beloved
Heart of my heart
Connected to my soul.
Truly we are of each other as we are
Joined by the spirit.
You are me and I am you.
Faun and spirit of the earth.
Goat to fox, beings of the dearest goddess.
So faithful, so true.
I love you from the day that I saw you
Until now, when we die for the final time together.
Oh my darling beloved.
Just a little being
But one who grows so.
We are the powerful together, destiny makers,
We are strong.
We are one.
We are we.

[Philomel]

Huge.
Wingless.
Grounded.
Sharp toothed.
What else can I say about
You, my precious one.
You, who call me mother.
You are a monster to some,
A beauty to others,
A wonder.
A dragon. Genuine dragon.
Altered by the magic of a goddess,
But given ability sublime.
Mighty, you call me
Mother
And I
Will answer when you call.
I will always answer, when you call.

[Philomel]

Philomel, Philomel,
This is you and yours.
Philomel, Philomel,
Roar to the sky, and soar.
Philomel, Philomel,
Be different, be strong.
Philomel, Philomel,
Always admit when you're wrong.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Philomel receives 2112 EXP and 135 GP.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

All rewards added.