THE GREEK

MOST DAYS HE WENDS HIS WAY TO THE ATHENS WATERFRONT,
THE FAMILIAR SCENE IS PLEASANT TO HIS TIRED EYES,
AND THEN HE SITS AND GAZES OUT TOWARDS THE CURVING SHORELINE,
THIS IS HIS ATHENS, AND HERE HE'LL STAY UNTIL THE DAY HE DIES.

OCCASSIONALLY HE DRAWS ON HIS CIGAR,
SAVOURING ITS COOL HAVANA TASTE.
HE WATCHES AS THE FISHING BOATS UNLOAD THEIR CATCH,
SEAGULLS DIVING FOR THE THROWN OUT WASTE.

HIS EYES SOFTEN AS A KALEIDOSCOPE OF MEMORIES INVADE HIS MIND,
MEMORIES OF HIS YOUTH, HIS FIGHT TO KEEP HIS COUNTRY FREE,
MEMORIES OF LOST LOVES AND FAR HORIZONS,
OF HALCYON DAYS THAT USED TO BE.

THE DAYS WHEN HE WAS HANDSOME STRONG AND CHARISMATIC,
WHEN HE WOULD DRINK AND FIGHT AND TAKE HIS PLEASURE,
DARK HAIR, DEEP TANNED AND MUSCLED FLESH,
ARROGANT YET CONFIDENT, NO GREEK WAS EVER BRAVER.

EVEN THROUGH THE GRIM DARK DAYS OF WAR,
THREE TIMES HE WAS CAPTURED, SENTENCED TO BE SHOT, AT DAWN,
SO HE FOUGHT WITH THE RESISTANCE, GIVING PEOPLE HOPE,
AND FREEDOM FOR THE CHILDREN NOT YET BORN.
THESE SAME MEN, CARING NOT FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY,
ATTACKED WITH PASSION STEALTH AND SPEED,
BATTLING BRAVELY AND WITH COURAGE,
DEFIANT IN THEIR DARING, THIS WARRIOR WAS ONE OF THESE..

IN HIS YOUTH HIS SEXUAL PROWESS WAS A MATCH FOR ANY GREEK ADONIS,
LIKE DON QUIXOTE, HE DREAMED ADVENTUROUS DREAMS,
HE BROKE THE HEARTS OF ENDLESS YOUNG GREEK MAIDENS,
UNTIL CUPIDS ARROW STOPPED HIM IN MIDSTREAM.

WHEN HE SAW HER HE SAW HIS FUTURE LAYED BEFORE HIM,
SHE STOLE HIS HEART WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING HOW SHE DID,
THE SUN SHONE DOWN ON THEM LIKE SOFT CARRESSING FINGERS,
A LOVE, SO STRONG THAT YOU COULD ALMOST TOUCH IT.

HE WAS TO HER, AS THE ELGIN MARBLES ARE TO GREECE,
AS LONG AS PARTHENON STANDS, SHE WILL BE BY HIS SIDE.
FOR THIS GREEK, SHE WAS HIS MOON, HIS SUN, HIS HEARTBEAT,
IN HER HE FOUND HIS OWN MORTALITY, FOR HER HE'D GLADLY DIE.

HER FATHER REFUSED HER HAND IN MARRIAGE,
SAYING HE WAS NOT RICH ENOUGH TO TAKE HER FOR HIS BRIDE,
SO ONE NIGHT HE STOLE HER FROM HER FATHERS HOUSE,
FOR MORE THAN FORTY YEARS SHE'S BEEN HIS WIFE.

THIS GREEK HIS ARROGANCE REPLACED WITH QUIET DIGNITY,
HIS EYES MAY NOW BE CLOUDY, BUT HIS WIT IS RAZOR SHARP,
STILL HE SEES IN HER THE BEAUTY AND ETERNAL GRECIAN CHARM,
OF THE TEENAGE GIRL, WHO STOLE HIS YOUTHFUL HEART.

HE SIGHS AND CHECKS HIS WATCH, TIME TO PUT HIS DREAMS AWAY,
FOR SHE'LL BE WAITING AS SHE ALWAYS WAITS FOR HER BELOVED GREEK,
AND HE WILL SAY, A THOUSAND YEARS FROM NOW I SHALL STILL LOVE YOU,
SHE WILL NOD AND WIPE AWAY A TEAR, TOO OVERCOME WITH LOVE TO SPEAK.

AS THEY WALK OFF INTO THE SUNSET OF THEIR LIVES,
THIS MAN WHO TEMPTED FATE AND LIVED TO TELL OF SUCH,
WHOSE STRENGTH AND ARROGANCE WERE NEVER QUESTIONED,
WAS ULTIMATELY GENTLED, BY A WOMANS TOUCH.