My poem, “I Shall Knoweth Thy Name,” published in Aôthen Magazine – a magazine centered around the classics as well as Greco-Roman and Ancient Egyptian mythologies and cosmogonies – was released this past week.
Much of this work was inspired by Ovid and his Metamorphoses, which I studied in a seminar I received a generous scholarship to take a few years ago. I must confess that reading Metamorphoses was transformative. If you haven’t gotten around to this particular classic, I suggest reading it post-haste. Many of the themes, motifs, characters, recurring storylines, and archetypes of Western literature pay homage to this text or else are inspired by a source text that can trace its roots back to the myths and legends Ovid relates in his epic.
This piece is about somewhere quite near and dear to me. He gave me a gift like none other, and for that reason and many more, he is beloved by me and means the world, the moon, and the stars to me. I am thankful to the editors of Aôthen for allowing me to share this piece through their magazine, which is available both online and in print!
I would also like to thank, amongst others, The One, The Only, The Greatest Great-Aunt Of Them All, My Great-Aunt Jo, who did indeed receive a letter containing this poem before her passing on August 5th, 2025. She left this world a better place, and – having made it to the venerable age of 92 – she is at peace. Riposta in pace, Zia Jo.
May we all be as beloved to someone as Aunt Jo was – and remains – to me.
Caitlin Cacciatore
