Aphrodite’s Rock.
In Cyprus,
it’s known as Petra tou Romiou –
Rock of Romans.
It is the birthplace of the
Greek goddess, Aphrodite.
Her name means to rise up from the waves.
Her birth story:
When he was growing up,
Cronos, son of Gaia, witnessed
his mother and father, Uranus,
making love among the planets.
While they were in the throes of passion,
with Gaia’s encouragement,
Cronos castrated his father,
tossing the severed organs into the ocean,
where they floated for a very long time,
gathering up foam around them,
and eventually fertilizing the mass.
Out of this froth
sprang the beautiful Aphrodite,
who was carried by the winds
to the shores of Cyprus
at Aphrodite’s Rock
near present-day Paphos,
where she was welcomed by Seasons and
Eros, the winged god of love,
who became Aphrodite’s constant companion.
Soon, Aphrodite took her place
with the gods on Mount Olympus,
and was given a wide realm by Zeus.
She was to become the goddess of beauty,
joy and laughter,
the guardian of girls,
and to govern the fertility
of plants and animals.
As I walk along the side of Aphrodite’s Rock,
I let my fingertips play along the wall,
feel the texture,
make a small wish to Aphrodite
that a close friend may find love.
A goddess requires a sacrifice
to deliver on a wish,
but I have nothing of value to give,
so I make a small cut on my finger
and leave a drop of blood
behind on the rock.
Small waves roll up onto the shore
and I can feel the wind in my face.
I imagine it’s the same wind that
brought Aphrodite to Cyprus.
As I walk away,
despite myself,
I feel a sense of longing.
