THE TRIAL OF ASPASIA
The folds of your peplos
like a doric column,
and your stature
just as sturdy.
The light of the pnyx
paints you
ivory,
Galatea white
before a man’s wish
gave her life.
Impiety
suits your complexion
much better:
the law cannot bend
your mind into prayer.
Aphrodite may
not grant you breath,
but your lips work
all the same.
Let them sculpt you
from lies —
at least your mind
will survive
when polymaths
and history tomes
turn every woman
back into stone.
Sanjana Ramanathan is an English student at Drexel University. She enjoys playing video games, cracking open a new book, and daydreaming. Her work has been published in clandestine lit, Horse Egg Literary, and elsewhere. You can find her on Twitter @sanjubilees.