Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Helen's gift of heart's-ease

 I want some. - J. O'B.

Into the mixing-bowl from which they drank their wine
she slipped a drug, heart's ease, dissolving anger,
magic to make us all forget our pains...
No one who drank it deeply, mulled in wine, 
could let a tear roll down his cheeks that day,
not even if his mother should die, his father die,
not even if right before his eyes some enemy brought down
a brother or darling son with a sharp bronze blade.
                                             
                                              The Odyssey
                                              Book IV: The King and Queen of Sparta
                                             

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