Gwydion and Gilfaethwy
 
To change a man into a stag,
a boar, a wolf and to change
another man to be a bitch, a sow, a deer
was a punishment to each of them for rape.

Judged for this inhuman act,
banished from humanity for a time
in these guises, and for another stretch
with roles reversed each knew the other

As a rutting beast and bore a child.
Brought back home again to live
with men and women, their offspring reared
as humans but called ‘Staggy’, ‘Rutter’, ‘Wolfy’

They were redeemed to humanity, called back
again to community; this primitive tale
telling us how to value who and what we are
besides the beasts who share the earth with us.