Turned Into A Stag Poem by gershon hepner

Turned into a stag, then torn by hounds,
Actaeon has no time to wonder
how he offended, gazing out of bounds,
the virgin goddess. For his blunder
he pays the price that men must often pay
for grazing where they’re found offensive;
I’d like to own the Titian painting’s exposé,
but sadly it is as expensive
as any brief encounter with a star––
the modern word for goddess––might
cost today, though selling a memoir
about it could pay for the night.


Inspired by the myth of Actaeon, turned into a stag and eaten by hounds for gazing at Diana and her nymphs. Sarah Lyall reports in the NYT on December 8,2008 (“Britons Ralkly to Keep Prized Work”) that the Duke of Sutherland has offered his Titian painting, “Actaeon and Diana, ” to the National Gallery in London, together with Titian’s “Diana and Callisto, ” for a hundred million pounds.

12/8/08