Ariadne

by Jennifer Saint

all a woman can do in this world is take what she wants from it and crush those who would stand in her way before they break her into fragments

But they did not bring lovers with them; they came to live in peace and harmony among women who longed for a freedom they could not have elsewhere.

They are the cause of their own suffering, and yet they will never see it. They will rage against the gods all day long and pray to them and plead for their mercy in the darkness of night. But they will never see how simply they could make their lives better for themselves.”

Who was I, the mother of five healthy children, to judge another woman’s suffering?

The price we paid for the resentment, the lust, and the greed of arrogant men was our pain, shining and bright like the blade of a newly honed knife.

They have gone on to lead quiet, unremarkable lives—the greatest gift that they could have been given.