and watched the sea from which he’d arisen.
He didn’t succumb to the indignity
of futile thrashing when his throat was cut.
Poseidon saw it and ceased forbidding
the clouds to cross the sea to Crete.
Sufficient rain fell in one day
to end the drought. So dripping eves
let Minos remain a few months more
on his gypsum throne. The Egyptians heard
of Cretan matters from merchants’ crews:
how Hupakoë captured the cunning bull;
how the king blubbered as he cut his throat;
how black clouds leapt on the long blue sky.
Rage at the death of his rescuer
forbid Asterion to start mourning:
all he wanted was war on Crete.
But the queen reminded him of the message the bull left
the night he departed: He was putting wisdom