The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships
- India Wittmershaus
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
India Wittmershaus
The face that launched a thousand ships
Who are you?
Daughter of Leda, claimed as seed by God and king.
Who are you, daughter of Leda?
Are you a goddess, an offspring of the mighty Zeus?
Are you a princess, the child of Tyndareus, a child of Sparta?
Who are you? From whose roots did your seed rise to become the one?
The one Helen!
Who are you, Helen of Sparta?
Mother of Hermione, what made you leave her behind?
Who are you, mother of Hermione?
Are you a wife, the wife of Menelaus of Sparta?
Who are you, Queen of Sparta?
Who are you, Helen of Troy?
Beloved of Paris, why did you forsake your home?
Were you seduced or kidnapped, beloved of Paris?
Are you loved and eloped, or are you taken and abducted?
Who are you, Princess of Troy?
Who are you, Helen Dendritis?
Fertility goddess, why do you inherit the devastating power of beauty and desire?
Who are you, fertility goddess?
Are you the embodiment of fate and divine intervention?
Who are you, living symbol of creation?
Who are you, Beautiful Helen?
Most beautiful woman in the world, why did you cause chaos and war?
Why did your face become the end of a dynasty, most beautiful woman in the world?
Are you to be at fault for your face?
Who are you, face that launched a thousand ships?
Who are you, Helen?
Are you the names that chain you to the stories told?
Are you the crowns and kingdoms, pledged in your name?
Who stands behind the face that launched a thousand ships?
Who stands beneath the weight of war’s dark blame?
Who are you beyond the beauty and after the fight?
Helen, who are you?
Written by India Wittmershaus.
Cover illustration by Merle Emrich.
