Celebrate Our Love

Celebrate Our Love
© Surazeus
2025 01 18

Twenty years after the meteor fell, 
and left her pregnant with child of the sun, 
Callisto searches for abandoned son, 
wandering cold mountains in long bear-fur cloak, 
then finds her father Lycaon hosting feast 
about to sacrifice Arcas on the altar. 

Hiding safe in dark shadows of oak woods, 
Callisto weeps to see her son grown tall. 
"Devoting my body to Artemis, 
I loved to hunt, and dance in waterfalls, 
but Zeus, dressed as Artemis, tricked my heart, 
and sparked your soul inside my fertile womb." 

"Yet Queen Hera," Callisto sighs, "enraged 
at the victim instead of the perpetrator, 
drove me away into the wilderness 
where I killed the bear that almost killed me, 
so now I wander disguised to keep safe. 
I hope to take away from his cage." 

Standing before his pack of fierce warriors, 
who dance wildly, clad in cloaks of wolf fur, 
Lycaon, lord of the mountain werewolves, 
raises knife to sacrifice his grandson. 
"My daughter, Callisto, with sky-blue eyes, 
hunted with retinue of Artemis." 

Lycaon growls as he glares at the young boy. 
"That evil tyrant Zeus, cruel mountain king, 
worn gown of Artemis to fool my daughter 
so she bore this boy from seed of his lust, 
who glares at me from his lightning-bright eyes. 
We will consume his soul to gain god power." 

Just as he raises knife to slice his throat, 
Callisto leaps from shadow of oak woods, 
returning with Zeus from his mountain cave. 
Zeus battles Lycaon with clashing wands, 
Bull King and Wolf Lord fighting for control, 
till Lycaon flees in the wilderness. 

Placing gold crown of jewels on his head, 
Zeus proclaims, "I crown Arcas, my bold son, 
King of this land I name Arcadia, 
for he shall bring enlightenment of laws 
to this land once ruled by greedy wolf gangs, 
imposing justice to protect good people." 

Surprised by bold king with curly gold hair, 
feared by everyone as fierce mountain god, 
Arcas shouts, "If you are my father Zeus, 
why did you abandon me to that beast 
who beat me every day, and made me work 
menial tasks with slaves captured in war?" 

When giant woman dressed in bear-fur cloak 
runs forward to embrace him to her breast, 
Arcas grabs arrow to thrust in her heart, 
but Zeus shouts, "That bear woman is your mother, 
Callisto, daughter of that cruel were-wolf, 
so kill her not, and release your resentment." 

Shocked by new knowledge of his parentage, 
Arcas turns and runs from the temple hall, 
and wanders through the wild Arcadian hills 
where he explores old woods of chestnuts and oaks, 
eating acorns, blackberries, and mushrooms 
while sitting on shore of the sparkling stream. 

When he hears enchanting song in the mist, 
Arcas finds beneath shining chestnut tree 
Laodamia in white linen gown and tiara 
with sapphire gleaming on her long gold hair, 
so he dances with slow elegant grace 
in harmony with her heart-warming song. 

Returning to the mountain temple hall, 
Arcas holds hands with graceful Laodamia 
and proclaims to Callisto and King Zeus, 
"Now I will reign as King of Arcadia, 
and crown Laodamia Queen of my Heart, 
so drink and feast to celebrate our love."