WHERE IS APHRODITE'S BARRETTE?
All was quiet in Olympus
When a scream pierced the calm
Making the Olympians run out of their homes
Their faces etched in fear and alarm.
In the throne room , the Gods stirred
"Is Olympus under attack?"
Cried Zeus and Poseidon, in the midst of a fight
"If it is, we can old the enemy back."
"Surely not" frowned Hera
"Or at least we would have known
The sacred cows would inform me
If the seed of trouble had been sown."
"Barn animals!" exclaimed Ares with scorn
"All they do is moo day and night
As War God, I can sense no danger
Right now, the problem is Aphrodite."
At this, all the Gods
Hurried to Aphrodite's rooms
The Goddess of Love sat sobbing within
Filling the perfumed chambers with gloom.
She launched herself at Ares
Making Hera go tsk-tsk
"Tantrums" growled Hephaestus, and
Ares gave him a look worthy of a Basilisk.
"Tragedy! Disaster! Catastrophe!"
Wailed Aphrodite through her tears
"What has happened in Olympus today
Has given reality to my worst fears!"
"If you wish to tell us about it
Then make haste" Poseidon fumed
"We do not have all day for you
Zeus and I have a quarrel to resume."
"You could be more sensitive" sniffed Aphrodite
"But as you ask, I will tell you
Someone has stolen from under my own nose
My favourite barrette of oak and honeydew!"
"Barrettes!" snorted Demeter, tossing her head
"Flimsy trinkets hurting my nature in the long run
Why should these things have value
What would they mean to anyone?"
Aphrodite wept harder
Her tears falling fast now
"Do not despair, sister" consoled Hermes
"We will find your hairpin somehow."
"Barrette" corrected Aphrodite
Awarding her brother a watery smile
Artemis left to launch a search party
Promising to be back with news in a while.
"Well, this calls for a haiku!" beamed Apollo
"Aphrodite's tears flood the palace
A wicked cool search party is sent out to ask
Where is my sister's barrette?"
"I will send messengers to Hades" said Ares
"Perhaps other should try to search elsewhere."
"I must see to my defective robots"
Said Hephaestus, calmly ignoring Ares's pointed glare.
"It is foolish to waste time" frowned Athena
"Crying over items of meagre importance
It would be wiser to invest in education
Perhaps it will diminish your ignorance."
"Books! Pah!" said Dionysus
"Who would choose them, especially over wine?"
Then as he quailed under Athena's cold gaze,
"But of course, knowledge is divine."
Meanwhile chaos reigned in Underworld
"Preposterous!" shrieked Persephone
"Of course I don't have Aphrodite's barrette
Why would I take anything from that hideous crone?"
"Calm down, dear" said Hades, fairly panicky himself
"There's no need to get so sour"
Cringing as Persephone turned
His best antique sword into a flower.
Hours later, the Goddess of Beauty and Love
Glared at her family through red rimmed eyes
"How could you not find it?" she screamed
"Gods and Goddesses, all of you! Fie!"
"Perhaps you misplaced it, love" suggested Ares
"How dare you!" she shrieked. "I have searched evry place
My fifteen thousand lipsticks, eighteen hundred eyeliners
Ten lakh closets, each and every jewellery case!"
The stunned silence was interrupted
By the entry of a satyr and two demigods
Grover Underwood, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase bowed low
Zeus acknowledged them with a small nod.
"We heard about your loss, My Lady" said Percy
Aphrodite teared up- he was such a sweet boy
If only her daughters broke hearts like his
It would give her the greatest joy.
"But we know where your barrette is"
Announced Annabeth, to Aphrodite's distaste
Coldly logical daughters of Athena did not
Deserve the affection of boys so pure and chaste.
"Please touch the back of your head, My Lady" said Grover
Aphrodite rolled her eyes, she liked the satyr
His love story with the tree nymph was cute
Though not one she particularly admired.
Nevertheless she humoured him
All the Gods gasped, as if on cue
For Aphrodite had drawn from her hair
A gleaming barrette of oak and honeydew.
"Well, that's settled" said Zeus grumpily
"Are you happy now, foolish daughter of mine?
Now, Poseidon, what do you say
Shall we get our argument back in line?"
"Thank you, brave children"
Said Aphrodite, finally content
She smiled at Annabeth, and kissed the other two
Making Grover moan "Food" and faint.
"Excellent!" cried Apollo, "I feel a haiku coming on"
And to general dissatisfaction, began:"Two demigods and a satyr
Successfully concluded a wicked cool quest
We have found Aphrodite's barrette."