Artemis Made Me Do It Quotes

“Forgive me if I unlearn
pretty
and learn vicious
in its place.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“The wolf caught me in its jaws
but when I cried out,
other only said:
I have seen the wolf many times
and he has not bitten me”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I tell him he has mistaken obedience for feminity.
I suggest getting a dog instead but I caution that both bitches bite back.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“And I believe all men think of me as a person. Correction: not all men. And I believe all men care about consent. Correction: not all men.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“When they romanticize your wild,
be wary.

Too often
they see you as something to be tamed.
New puppy, not wolf.
Something to show off.
Sharp tongue on a leash.
Claws clipped neatly.
Feral creature whittled down
to almost nothing.

Too often
it makes them feel powerful
to grab something unbroken
and hold it
by the throat.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“Look at you,
taking care of everyone but yourself,
letting love make you hollow,
instead of full.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“You called me a girl,
but I am a portrait
of the world on fire.

You called me a girl,
but I am a bruise
that refuses to heal.

You called me a girl,
but I am a knife.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I resent my own resiliency.
I don't want to bounce back.
I don't want to be strong.
Trample me underfoot
and just let me stay down.
God, just let me stay down.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“Your anger is a divine instrument for change.
But anger alone won't sustain you.
It won't even keep you warm.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“The wolf caught me in his jaws
but when I cried out,
others only said:

I have seen the wolf many times
and he has not bitten me.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I have the same complaints
as most women before me.

I have been romanticized,
mythologized,
separated from myself
and then pieced back together
so many times
no one remembers
the truth of who I am.

There are so many versions of me.
Not even I recognize all of my faces.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“to dream of moss and amethyst, to listen for the call of the wild...”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“Here I am
knowing the difference between honey and the bee,
still chasing what stings.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“Look at you, taking care of everyone but yourself, letting love make you hollow instead of full.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I am half woman, half myth of myself. This is what happens when you sit back and allow other people to dictate who you are. I will never bite my tongue like that again.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I believe all men think of me as a piece.
Correction: Not all men.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“He says he loves feminine women.

Not too much makeup though.
Sexy but not too sexy, you know?
Not funny, but she laughs at everything.
Comes when she's called but doesn't call too often.
Not too bitchy.
Submissive. Subservient.

I tell him he has mistaken obedience for femininity.

I suggest getting a dog instead
but I caution that both bitches bite back.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“In the end,
I refused him
even the kindness
of a quick death.

I turned him into a stag
with the flick of my wrist
and a splash of springwater.

Then I sent his dogs after him.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“The question is not whether you will be hurt by this life. You will be hurt.
The question is: What will you do with the aftermath?
Will you swallow your grief or will grief swallow you?”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“Better, this way.
Better to be able to outrun.
Better to be able to bite back.
Better to be monstrous
than touched by monsters.
Let her curse my name.
Let her forget her own.
Let her forget.
Just let her forget.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I write poems or you the way other people bring flowers to graves.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“It's hard to watch him make the same mistakes I curse other men for and still want to defend him.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“What did you do today?
Existed quietly within myself.
What will you do tomorrow?
Exist with some degree of force.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“It hurts to rip open wounds and reset bones. It hurts to dig around inside and see what's going on. It hurts to realise how deeply you have betrayed yourself over the years.
Healing will never be convenient.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“Rise again from death, shapeshifter.

Reroll the dice of your life. Remake the world in your image. Outrun the wolves at your door. Manifest a future where you never have to die again, but know that you could if you had to. You have fallen many times before.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“She of the woods

Swamp creature. All unwashed mouth, all river mud. You overgrown bramble. You outrageous thorn. Unafraid of a little blood. Unafraid of a lot. Opposition trembles before you. Runs away and tells stories of your unholiness. Your dirt and your anger. All your bite. Reputation doesn’t precede you; it follows you around with its tail between its legs. It cowers in your shadow. Curse the words of those who tried to bury you. Bless your inability to stay down.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I turned Callisto
into a constellation
when she was killed.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“It is time to come back.
I am calling you home
to the forest of yourself.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“I am the golden arrow.
I am anger caught in the throat.
I am what prowls the woods at night.
I am what wants and devours.
I am the heart on fire.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It

“Welcome to life.
Here is the arrow. Here is the bow.
You won’t have to wait long for the blood.”
― Trista Mateer, Artemis Made Me Do It