6160. HOMER

HOMER

Ode. To travel. Hurled in their

multitude to the House of Hades.

-

Playing mystery tennis on the lawns

of the sea. Gnawing for years on

the great salt expanse.

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The ship's capture :  'Bring fire,

and give single voice to the

clamor of battle.'

-

This is horrific  :  nailed to the mast

with knives and seamens' lances; the

scuttled wooden ships of fire.

-

I've never visited your post.

Bring arms to the point of battle.

Do you think there are others behind us?

-

They've brought something down from the

mountain  -  it sleeps in the pearled night

like the lancer's fabled hand, once severed.

-

All of the women of this famous land are

swooning now, for the fires are biting the

shoreline, and they have nowhere left to go.

The acid children wretch. Escape now?

To what?

-

Evacuate some sinking ship. Bring fire, and 

give single voice to the clamor of battle.

Keep right. Slower traffic exit.

Signal. Pay toll ahead.