Imagine females trickier than sin
whose visages can petrify a man
uncowed by fear. Envision silky skin
as gray as wasting death. Now if you can
embellish them with snakes instead of hair:
Set vipers undulating round their heads;
let vicious serpents teethe upon the air,
reptilian tongues aflash in venomed dreads.

So hideous these sisters, legend claims
a glance at one will turn a man to stone.
Their power reaches further than their names
and longer than their lives. This much is known
by all of us, but here’s a question yet:
Are gorgons to a woman any threat?