Ananke

— Greek Goddess of Necessity

Necessity itself a loose
word, an ancient loopy god, it means

constriction, the way an indifferent green
anaconda takes you in its coils.

Necessity, a noose
shaped like a sacrificial wreath,

and the shape of our lips when we breath
just before we are about to kiss.

I prefer the linear and like things to unwind.

When I’ve waited too long, I begin to unravel
the strands, unbraid the rope, untie the knot.

There is nothing kind
about an inevitable and personal

god