Setting Sail For Italy

Demitrios the golden Spartan captain sets sail for Italy against the western wind; he will certainly mourn Piraeus, and with sorrow-striken eyes, he'll invoke Poseidon. Then he'll depart carrying the long hunting horn. The small vessel will hold out and he won't fear waves, but he laughs at Ares--who despises all kinds of irony. Occasional gusts soothe the skin on his noble face, unwrinkled and unrugged. Spring water should quench his dry tongue; it's too warm and tasteless. Stored in a huge amphora which depicts faces of gods and warriors engaged in warfare, it has the same warmth of the sweat that drips from his hot forehead that has turned red. Ahead, wisps of fog arise--an imagery whale. Beyond there are perils and certain delights; thoughts of danger will perturb him, thoughts of discovery will enthrall him. He will be experiencing them on his voyage--what he desires is smooth sailing. He has heard of sirens and cyclops, of fertile valleys and fields of yellow wheat; of buffalos that roam, of goats and sheep that bleat. How amazed he will be to find rocks to build the New City*on that pristine shore-- he will declare his Queen sitting in the marble throne! Demitrios the golden Spartan captain sets sail for Italy to escape Achille's curse; he refuses to hide in the wooden horse, he will never return to Greece. Athens and Sparta will not fight with swords and arrows; their grand plan is to win war by deceit. Cleverness will defeat the Trojans. Only Helena foresees the worse; they don't heed her words--Troy will fall to the enemy. * The New City: Neapolis ( Naples ).