by Kyla Houbolt

Jung said myth is forever the root of all human creation. This is a failure of the imagination, says Diana, as she restrings her bow. Oh my yes, agrees Venus. There was so much our Jung did not know. He served beautifully for a time, but entirely missed the era of the artificial. Diana raises an eyebrow at that. Oh, he missed a lot more than that, sister. He was caught in the web of Arachne, as are we all! But look you, up there, and over there, and just here under my hound’s large foot. The web is tearing as it must, as all things in creation do change, even the great things we think are eternal. Venus bows her gold-tressed head. You know, Diana, your hunting skills have surely improved. See our Jung down there now, an arrow through his brilliant heart, he’s fallen from his loft indeed! And I must say! There is Pan over there, reading a book! Well, I never. Here, help me lift my skirts over this sudden stream, Diana, it reeks of poison.

And so the two make their way out of what had seemed timeless. Pan looks up, watches them lift off, puts his book under an Oak, and follows along. Things had indeed gotten boring and he felt a good strong wind beginning to stir. He blows out his breath to strengthen the wind, but that has no effect. Yep, he mutters, time to move along. We’ve been Changed already. And Pan, not made of atoms at all, begins to dissolve, to morph into a cloud-like Pan shape, and then that wind he failed to call up most gently scatters his image into unrecognizable mist.

Kyla Houbolt is a poet and gardener living in North Carolina. Her first full length poetry collection, Becoming Altar, is available from Subpress Poetry. Her new collection, Mapless, coming in July 2026, from Shine Poetry. Her social media: Bluesky: @luaz.bsky.social, website: kylahoubolt.us.