In Greek mythology, Leda and the Swan

is a story in which the god Zeus,

in the guise of a swan,

seduces Leda, a Spartan queen 

As a swan, Zeus falls into her arms

for protection from a pursuing eagle

 

Now, you may not believe me but,

taxidermy, dating and the art of seduction

go hand in hand with  the joy and torture of desire

 

I remember a first date, He liked the macabre

We held hands walking through the galleries

of stufffed animals at the Horniman Museum

My worst nighmare, I have taxidermiphobia

I walked through the whole time wearing sunglasses

still with my eyes shut for fear of seeing just one stuffed animal

 

When all of a sudden,

I trip on an electrical lead on the museum floor

My glasses fly off and there I am face to face,

locked eyes with a graceful stuffed swan,

but this was no mythological seduction,

it felt like I was a matador and the swan was a bull.