Minerva, you arrived with weapons so let's keep up with the story. I was singularly unimpressed with your birth, other than you beat Jupiter at his own game. But it was then, Metis, your mother who kept up with the forging of tools during your gestation in Jupiter's belly. Because of her, you made entrance fully prepared for your life and times. A full grown maiden, you had already gathered wisdom. Ovid called you “goddess of a thousand works”. Medicine, arts, handicraft and poetry. But, I ask, is Metis still around? Something tells she might be. Did she have a hand in forging a vibroblade, a new weapon that I, in this poem, choose to put in your hands? Not that I want to set you to old wars, or new ladies. Let us be done with that and with wisdom, better things to do. I beg of you a great deed. Wave that vibroblade as sisters in arms to the new pestilence. In the service of medicine for all-kind. We would welcome it as yet your greatest battle. But rather, keep you both a steady hand as vaccinations go on. This is our future and beyond. Benita H. Kape (c) 12.4.2021 Notes: For me Minerva is a goddess of weapons, but only after her wisdom, medicine, arts, poetry and handicrafts. Perhaps there were items in the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction for arts and handicraft but this is what my eyes lighted on: vibroblade = a weapon or tool having a blade that vibrates rapidly: not something Jupiter could have coped with very well at Minerva's birth. So better an axe for that event than a vibrating blade. "Finally, our prompt (optional, as always). I’m calling this one “Past and Future.” This prompt challenges you to write a poem using at least one word/concept/idea from each of two specialty dictionaries: Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary and the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction. A hat tip to Cathy Park Hong for a tweet that pointed me to the science fiction dictionary and to Hoa Nguyen for introducing me to the Classical Dictionary. "
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