Circe and Her Lovers in a Landscape by Joseph Lisowski

Circe and Her Lovers in a Landscape, by Dosso Dossi, 1516.

Circe and Her Lovers in a Landscape
 
Circe holds a tablet, perhaps
An indecipherable spell, as she looks
Beyond her minions transformed
Into birds and beasts no longer
Beguiled by her nakedness.
Her incantations worked too well
On these former young and old warriors.
They are still lifes now in the forest.
 
She is uncaring of her conquests
Without even need for song.
Dossi’s beautiful lady without pity
Unmans her lovers then and even now.
 
Joseph Lisowski
 
 
Joseph Lisowski has taught at several colleges and universities, most notably, Duquesne University, Point Park College, The University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas serves as the setting for his 3 published detective fiction novels), J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and Elizabeth City State University.  Among his many awards and grants, he received the UNC Board of Governors Teacher of the Year award (2013-2014).  Individual works in magazines and journals are too numerous to mention, but he has had 21 chapbooks of poetry published. 
 
This poem is from the author’s upcoming collection, Looting the National Gallery.