Penelope

Do you recall in Homer's Odyssey what the written description of both Helena and Penelope's pinnacle of beauty resided in? Not their porcelain faces, rarely mentioned for all the modern interpretations, nor their looping curls (clearly not written by me) or their psychic (fatties the both of 'em, I bet). Anyone? Anyone? Right, there "fair skin" and, this is my point of focus, their "slender white arms". Placing the obvious grecian albino-worship aside, their beauties continually came back to their slender, encircling arms. For all we know it was the exposure of skin- the thong hip of its era- but I think there is something to be said for slender, leanly muscular arms.

I was reminded of this today, when for the first time in a long time it was warm enough to wear a sleeveless tank without a sweater hiding what may be my only claim to classical beauty. Doing my boxing reps with free weights has actually paid off too, and I was called upon by a faint memory of a stray compliment I received once. A man in my life slow to *excitement* once told me, when he himself was reminiscing about the night we first kissed, that he could remember exactly which top I had worn, because it showed off my arms, and that he thought my arms "were always what had attracted me to you. So strong, but long. Slender." And I thought of Penelope, and Helen. And I thought, "Kiss my grit, Penelope"