Book Twelve (7 November 2023)

Home

Covered

Visiting 

Offense, wildcat 

Play, running back took 

Snap, not their quarterback,

Defense scrambled from scrimmage.




Gate

Opened

For Trojans,

Apollo placed 

Agenor to stop 

Achilles with spear thrown,

Wrapped him in mist, took his shape.




Black,

Tinted

Limousine 

Passed athletic 

Fields, parked at school house,

Occupants' eyes obscured 

Behind large framed sunglasses.




Out

Route played,

Visiting 

Team receiver 

Started run down field,

Cut out toward sidelines where

Home team player tackled him.




Fooled,

He chased 

Apollo-

Not Agenor-

Along plains, river,

Revealed, swerved toward gate where

Hektor, despite pleas, waited.




White

Van pulled 

Up outside 

Kitchen, driver

Unloaded covered

Dishes, trays prepared by

Caterer for lunch buffet.




Blitz 

Defense 

By home team 

Sacked quarterback,

Next pass, fumbled, ball

Turned over, stop and go 

By wide receiver scored goal.





Fight,

Or flight,

Hektor ran 

From Achilles

Until Athena

Tricked him, Achilles threw

His spear, missed, threw again, killed.




Black 

And white 

Chess pieces 

Staged across board,

Department colleagues 

Tried out tactical moves

Discovered in experts' books.




Home

Draw play,

Quarterback 

Surprised defense-

Receivers covered-

Football clutched tight, he ran

Straight down midfield to end zone.





Ghost 

Rebuked

Achilles,

Stuck at Hades'

Gates until pyre

Burned corpse; logs, livestock piled,

Winds blew flames, bones recovered.




Not 

Erased

From chalkboard, 

Claggart falsely 

Charged young Billy Budd: 

Plotting a mutiny; 

Envious of his beauty.




Stop

And go

Gutted guest 

Man to man set

Up, wide receiver 

Broke free, diagonal 

Run through goal posts scored touchdown.




Games

Commenced-

With divine 

Interventions-

For proven men, sons;

Boxers, athletes, fought clean,

Wrestlers, dirtied, fought to draw.




Two

Third form

Volunteers

Inventoried 

Singlets, sweat suits, shoes,

First season practice with

Weigh-ins Monday afternoon.




An

Injured

Quarterback 

On crutches shook

His successor's hand:

Torch, unexpectedly 

Passed, carried to finish line.




Zeus

Frowned, had

Thetis tell

Achilles to

Accept ransom from 

Priam for Hektor's corpse,

Hermes guided him safely.




Towels

Snapped in 

Boisterous 

Admiration 

Of their achievements:

Rival beaten; classes 

Canceled; all meals informal.





{18 stanzas/page} 











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