on the tacit understanding
that you will not
repeat this to anyone,
Artemis walked with me for a while,
in the early days
when the fire still burned.
dust and dogs and the drone
of some distant war
could not deter me.
I was all sinew then,
my measurements were as constant
as my convictions.
Artemis remarked on my gait.
she seemed quick to flatter.
our shadows mingled.
when the road began to straighten
Artemis bid me farewell
and pressed me for a few bent coins.
the days grew short,
my heartbeats quickened,
I watched the night give birth to a star.
in the end nothing came of it.
my dreams overtook me,
as you can see.
Artemis?
well, she is the least lonely
of all the gods.
Justin Lowe was born in Sydney but spent significant portions of his childhood on the Spanish island of Minorca with his younger sister and artist mother. He developed a penchant for writing poetry while penning lyrics for a string of bands, successful and not so, and has since been published all over the world. Justin currently resides in a house called “Doug” in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney where he edits poetry blog Bluepepper. His most recent collection Nightswim can be purchased through The Bluepepper Bookstore.