Cygnus

a friendship so deep, abiding, and true,
this lad’s grief an end never knew.
as his friend’s lifeless body plunged into the sea,
he raced to his side hoping the truth not to be.
he held the lad’s body to his breast
and felt a strange tingling in his chest.
as he cried out in anger at the gods above,
his body was transformed in his grief and love.
he was now white as snow
with feathers where his hair once did grow,
and his neck was long and thin.
his voice distorted to a squawk as his cry did begin.
choosing to shy away from man
in his mistrust of all deities like pan,
the swan spent his days
in a grief-filled haze
until his death brought peace to his plight
and his shape being placed within the stars in the night.