Thetis and Amphitrite, Lounging in Poseidon’s Lair

March 29, 2026 Poet:‍ Ursula Shepherd ‍Artwork: Languid by Jolene Monheim

Thetis and Amphitrite, Lounging in Poseidon’s Lair

What art is this, this burnished scene

that draws me in, 

bids me come inside the frame, frolic there

among these glowing nymphs?

My body tingles at the sight; I wish to swim,  

glide and dart amidst these noble souls. 

Like that ancient urn of Keats, there is a mortal

story here.

They are lithe and lean, their bodies sleek

and sure. Do you see the wild, willful

power resting there? How their bodies shine 

like fire, splendid limbs alight?

They are at play, these sea-born daughters,

laughing, lazy in the fading gloam.

It is said Jason was the hero of the Golden 

Fleece, but it was Medea saved him,

these nymphs who led him through

the Wandering Rocks

played his boat like a tender ball, passed 

it off between them and their sisters 

as they rose and dove and danced

like dolphins delighting in the game.

It was Thetis grabbed the rudder

calmed the seas and aimed the Argos on,

Amphitrite who tamed the winds. Now they lie 

in languid splendor. My body stirs,

these sisters call to me like Sirens. I feel 

the flush of current 

lush across my skin, my limbs alive

in recognition of their pleasure.

I would crawl into that glory dome

let my lips, my tongue taste the silky brine.