Homer's (the blind man's) poetry IV as seen by the waiter

"Iliad I - Iliad II - Iliad III - Iliad IV - Iliad V - Iliad VI - Iliad VII - Iliad IIX - Iliad IX - Iliad X - Iliad XI - Iliad XII - Iliad XIII - Iliad IV - Iliad XV - Iliad XVI - Iliad XVII - Iliad XIIX - Iliad XIX - Iliad XX - Iliad XXI - Iliad XXII - Iliad XXIII - Iliad XXIV"

"Iliad IV"
 

IV

book four

  There is truce

as the Greek armies have their own arguments,

yet those on-looking gods

they get more and more impatient,

the more they have to wait for suspense and action.

This is a major production but still missing are

blood and guts piercing spears,

vibrating shafts, junked armor, reflecting

shields, terrified faces with teeth shattering in their mouths

and quick arrows changing voices hitting vitals.

Hades is waiting to bus the darkest of the dark souls first

and Poseidon promises to rinse the plate

and all those dishes on which horses, kings and queens

next to bishops are waiting to be slain.

Yet nothing happens but quarrel between the prima donnas.

That's why goddess Athena did offer

to get the show on the road, by finding a common man,

one soldier stupid enough to fire the needed first arrow.

And

selecting from

the vast number of applicants

she finds the right tool — for this, her mission

— in a daring and foolish young man.

Thinking of himself highly

as a master marksmen,

he is most likely

the Trojan's best archer.

Athena promises him beside glory

everything else this man could ever want,

standing behind him she whispers sweet nothing into his ears

touching his arrow's shaft.

At her "Go for it"

the archer sends

the bronze head

on its way,

a glint of gold

the sun reflects,

followed by

the shaft's black wood

a shadowy tail.

Too late

Menelaus sees it coming — too late

to stop the arrow — the archer witnessing

Athena running out on her promises,

withdrawing the body which nanoseconds

ago had pressed against him.

Too late to undo... the deed done,

what has been done, by him

who has been tricked. Too late

for more than watching the great pain

inflicted by the piercing arrow

cutting jewels from Agamemnon's brother's loin,

bleeding he is, Helen's husband, on the ground

a neutered Menelaus.

And with this, the opening scene to the Trojan war,

the gods are applauding Athena,

as those earthlings them actors

are rushing about

on the stage set up by their gods.      
 
   

{}-:  

  ...baking in the sun...

"Iliad I - Iliad II - Iliad III - Iliad IV - Iliad V - Iliad VI - Iliad VII - Iliad IIX - Iliad IX - Iliad X - Iliad XI - Iliad XII - Iliad XIII - Iliad IV - Iliad XV - Iliad XVI - Iliad XVII - Iliad XIIX - Iliad XIX - Iliad XX - Iliad XXI - Iliad XXII - Iliad XXIII - Iliad XXIV"