Book Two (24 January 2023)

Sized

Football 

Cleats, grabbed their

Helmets, shoulder

Pads, jerseys, pants; sized

Soccer cleats, jerseys, shorts;

Sized running shoes, tank tops, shorts.



Zeus

Sent Dream

To whisper

False promises

To Agamemnon:

Hera's supplication

Had been heard, he might take Troy.



New,

Fifth form

Boy, said to 

Be star, public 

School quarterback, coach

Recruited with offer

Of full, two year scholarship.



Dropped 

Boxers,

Unrolled towels,

Slid jockstraps up,

Pulled on t-shirts, shorts,

Jerseys, pants, pads, socks; new

Shoes tied, ran out from lockers.



Greaves

Fastened,

Corselets

Girded, swords slung

Across shoulders, shields

Lifted high, helmets set

Upon heads, readied for fight.



Old

Monied

Scion, school's

Traditional

Football quarterback,

Tossed on worn t-shirt, shorts,

For private weight room workout.



Swarmed

Down grass

Slope to a

Football goal post,

Or ran past it, climbed 

Bank to soccer net, or

Continued down beaten trail.



Fate

Of Troy

Sent off course

When Achaians 

Spoke about setting 

Sail, Althena convinced 

Odysseus to remain.



Head

Of school 

Athletics

Found his well liked 

Player working out,

Counseled patience, early 

Games would test coach decision.



Bunched

Around 

Football coach,

Told to run laps,

Old at school, and new

To forms, separated

Into track running factions.



Tribes

Marshaled 

By leaders,

Each with godlike 

Lineage, some spear 

Famed, some skilled with bow, drawn 

From fertile vineyards, grain fields.



On

Way out,

Overheard 

Private pep talk 

Between coach and his 

Selected quarterback 

Before both appeared with team.



Drilled

As group

In basics,

Defense, offense,

Plays executed

From kickoff to first down,

Passing, running, and trick plays.



When

Trojans 

Squared off with 

Achaians, heart

Throb, Alexandros, 

Saw Menelaos, pulled 

Back, 'til Hektor called him out.



Back 

At his 

Gym office,

Director shared

Strategy on why 

Each prep school faced theirs when 

It did on league Fall schedule.



Culled 

From slate

Of last year's 

Football starters,

Second-string players 

Faced practice scrimmage with 

Team built around favourite.



Once

Both sides 

Called stand down,

Alexandros

Proposed one on one

Fight with Menelaos, 

The survivor would take all.



At

Crest of 

Soccer fields 

Levitated,

Black and white balls spun,

Cross country team headed 

Out single file toward mountain.



{18 stanzas/page]







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