young girl extrapolates upon aphrodite in the kimbell art gallery

why did they change her name?
that wasn’t very nice of them. she already had a greek name.
that wasn’t very nice of them at all.
she was born in a seashell and made of ivory.
maybe they were jealous of venus, the woman made of ivory, so they changed her.
they changed her name.
that wasn’t very nice of them.

(the girl was far too young to think of having her own name changed, but someday i suspect she will understand why beautiful woman full of love will think changing their name is very nice indeed, and she will never remember her youth when boys were gross things and soldiers were mean – as she described them in the paintings – and the beautiful women can only be beautiful if they are ivory pure. i hope part of you remember, little one, this confident innocence.)