virtuous muses

Hope is the embodiment of gold. She dances with the moon and stars, holds hands with the clouds. Her aura is that of the purest gold. She is our light in the world. She touches the desperate and lonely, and shows them the reasons to smile. Her touch is that of Midas; everything her fingers brush turns to gold as pure as hers. The gold may not last long, but nevertheless it was there. She twirls down the crumbled concrete sidewalks and holds the cure for fear. She knows not what is to come, but what is to be expected. When people have nothing else in the world, they have the comfort she offers them.

Faith is not a nun or a priestess. She is a strong warrior, unperturbed by generations of dispute and hate. She fights to the death for her beliefs, especially for the belief she holds in herself. She is not religion. She is the strength we find in the beliefs we cling to, whether it be in religion, in nature, or in ourselves. She gives reason to life, and with her sword she slashes through fear and worry.

Charity sings with Generosity, and these sisters work for all who are without, not only for the poor or desperate. Everyone cries for the things they cannot have, and these twins work to satisfy these petitions. Their gifts may be small and simple, but they bring the greatest pleasures. They give people what they long to have without spoiling them. They instill their ideals in others, and these volunteers carry their work throughout the world.

Passion, with fiery red hair and cat-green eyes, tosses and turns at night. She is restless, always looking for someone to inspire. She instills love, moves the writer’s pen, and dips the artist’s brush. She guides impatiently, for Love and Passion are very different. Passion abandons, but always returns. Passion is the crackle of fire, the adrenaline rush. She walks down the streets, her slanted eyes watching you through her auburn locks. She never goes unnoticed.

Fortitude shows the most brilliant of colors. Her courage and strength win the most victorious battles. She shows other the roads to freedom, unafraid of consequence. She listens to her heart and enters peril without fear. She follows this heart of hers blindly, ready to fight whatever comes her way. She returns home from war a heroine, cherished and respected. She shows us the stronger qualities in the human spirit.

Joy lets her auburn hair fall freely over her shoulders, without worry or care. She never cries. She finds happiness in everything, seeing only the silver lining and ignoring the cloud. She reminds us that we’ll never fly with burdens strapped to our sides. She catches your eye and dissolves your anger. She spins in circles without ever getting dizzy, but, in turn, makes the world dizzy from watching her. She doesn’t know regret or sorrow. She doesn’t know seriousness either, for happiness is carefree. She is what you search for.

Peace whispers to be heard. She causes no commotion like the others, but brings calm to the restless. She is the serenity we find in nature, her hair in soft waves of pale golden yellow and her complexion pale white. Unlike the others, few notice her, for she’s too meek to yell and too honest to cause controversy. She shushes the hateful words and punishes for the discrimination. In many ways, Peace is two-fold. Her other personality is Persecution. Their cause-effect relationship are identical to no other, for Peace is found because of Persecution, and Persecution invokes Peace. Persecution is strict and disciplined. She is Justice, Fairness, Equality. She is the balance in our universe. Her hair is poker straight and jet black, her skin the color of charcoal, her manner many times cold and stony. She is unmovable; her decision is always final.

Inspiration is the most diligent of all. Night and day she invokes beauty among the mortals, continues the tradition of the arts. She is Music, Art, Dance, Literature, Poetry, and Beauty. While Passion moves the artist’s brush, Inspiration is the artist’s brush, the artist’s hand. She is the key to any thing of beauty. She goes into the minds of the creators of the world and twists their emotions into words and brush strokes. She does not control them, but only motivates them. She points to the heavens and jumps for the stars, encourages every move of these dreamers’ hands. She has lost many minds to conformity, but those that refuse to convert to this bland society are still hers to influence.

Finally, there is Love. Love is Queen of the Virtues. She is found in all the other virtues, ever-present and alive in each. Her hair glitters in braids of silver, the romance of the moon. She is as gentle and nurturing as a mother. Her eyes are warm and affectionate, her song light-hearted and carefree. She has no enemies and loves those who refuse to accept her. She dissolves the cracks in the cement sidewalks with each step of her foot, she is who changes the world. She teaches people to embrace. Instead of taking things for granted, she shows us what we must cherish. She reveals our own souls to us and enables us to feel the greatest of emotions. She comes to every person when they’re alone or friendless, comforts the suicides as best she can. She has no control over anything, for she is completely free. She cannot be bought or exchanged, for anyone who possesses her light doesn’t want to let it go. She is simply otherworldly.