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Saturday 19 April 2014

Quandary

This is the longest of the poems I've included but I really like it, so here it is for you to enjoy as well...

Greek supreme god, Zeus

Quandary

The gods were in a quandary
Didn't quite know what to do
Zeus cried “the world’s a mess
And the solution lies with you”

They convened an urgent meeting
Decided a quiz the only way
Then each retired to a favourite haunt
To gather again at noon the next day

The trials began in urgent haste
Amid a great excitement
The prize, although they knew not what
Would be worth the time they spent

Aphrodite, gentle god of love
Was first to show her might
To all the peoples of the earth
She whispered “Only Love is right”

When all had heard her tender pleas
And listened  to her “notions of love”
They scorned each other that much more
For seeming to hearken to “thoughts from above”

Dionysus, rowdy god of wine
Thought he’d sewn the contest up
He poured out wine throughout the world
And adjured all to “sit and sup”

He should have known better
Have know that hate would be rife
When all had supped past their tolerance
They turned on each other in all-out strife

The last to try his wits that day
Was Ares, god of war!
He took his stand – the last, by choice
As all the gods sighed – said no more

A master tactician, the greatest ever
Who’d never ever lost a bout
He’d planned his tactics in advance
And, thus prepared, boldly set out

Humans, he knew, were very, very strange
Yet, they were all the same of course
He chose his venue – the Arctic Wastes
And began his onslaught – showed no remorse

His lightning struck, his thunder bellowed
Wild wind and water wrestled in wrath
The ice and earth – not match enough
Writhed and struggled in the aftermath

The gods and Zeus sat in confounded silence
Neither daring to question, nor intervene
They felt, and not without conviction
That the earth they loved was to end in ruin

Ares, however, was no human’s fool
And he watched them in silent delight
As all races, creeds and peoples as one
Gathered to overcome their common plight

As each nation’s peoples united at last
As countries and continents cried “détente, détente”
Ares slowly and carefully retreated
Declaring to Zeus “I've achieved what you want”

Zeus applauded and vowed majestically
“I’d never have dreamed that what I've seen here
Could have ever transpired through the god of war
And I have to admit I had some doubts and fear”

“You've won your prize, there is no doubt
I trust you’ll appreciate its worth
Because you understand them and united all people
I give you your prize
It’s yours – The Earth!”



21 comments:

  1. That was a really good tale! Sad that war unites people. We've seen that with our own nation. And in cheesy movies like Independence Day, we see the world unite when attacked.
    Let's hope we can achieve that without the attack ever coming.
    Have a great Easter, Fe!

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  2. What Alex said. Thanks for stopping by my blog...Happy Easter and AZing.

    Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2014, My Latest post

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

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  3. Sad but true. Nothing divides like love and nothing binds like war! Beautifully written. Thank you for stopping by my blog. :)

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  4. What a wonderful prize to receive. Great poem.

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  5. Long maybe but your poem held me to the end; thoroughly enjoyable.

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  6. Just goes to show... Ironic and fun to read! It is a statement of humans isn't it, that disaster is what it takes to unite us.... I came over from the #atozchallenge2014, and am also an IWSG member...

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  7. Long, but beautiful. And when it comes to beautiful poems there is no such thing as too long. :)

    Thank you for visiting my blog!

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  8. Interesting. Makes you wonder if that's why even after all that, we often seem to be at the brink of another war.

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  9. It's awesome how wonderfully flawed the Greek gods were, sometimes worse than humans. :)

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  10. A very powerful poem Felicity thank you - full of verve and tension. I thought I was going to burst. Aphrodite and Zeus - the A-Zers; methinks Aphrodite got it right. If there was mire love we would appreciate this amazing gift - of Mother Earth.
    Garden of Eden Blog

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  11. 'Mire' should have been 'more' - typo. There's enough mire - not enough love.

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  12. Thank you, Everyone and Happy Easter

    Alex - I would love to think that would be true, however...
    Damyanti - I loved your blog
    Michelle - thanks - you too
    Chrys - I thoroughly enjoyed writing it and you're welcome
    Juzta - if we took more notice of the little things which happen every day (as you do, I know, I browsed through your blog :) ) we wouldn't be surprised that war or disaster unites. It's a very sad indictment on the human race.
    Caroline - some would disagree, I'm sure :p and thanks.
    Bob - thanks, that's the best praise I could ever wish for
    Lisa - thanks and too true
    JL - I think that's exactly why
    David - you and I are on the same page here. :)
    Susan - thanks and I'm not sure 'mire' isn't correct. :p

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  13. Not too long for me, Felicity. Nothing more beautiful that people 'gathering to overcome their common plight', for the amazing prize at the end -- our very own Earth, the only one we have yet constantly find ways to destroy. Thank you for this. Happy Easter!
    SilviaWrites

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  14. Very entertaining. Not sure what it says about mankind but it seems to be true on how humans would act.

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  15. A very thought-provoking poem! You really were up to the challenge with this quality Q post!

    Julie

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  16. On a smaller scale, put one person in a group that aggravates all the other members, and the same will happen. The Common Threat is a great ploy. So if the God of War won, is that why war endures?

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  17. This was great. I could see them all hanging out, determining our fate. If only they were still listening.

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  18. Great poem. Kind of sad that love doesn't do the trick, but people really know what's important when they're about to lose everything!

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  19. Thanks, Everyone

    It is quite sad that love just won't do the trick, isn't it?
    Yes, I do think that war endures because Ares won. He would find such irony in the whole affair. :p

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