written on the battlefield of Thermopylae
my darling,
may Hermes bless the flight of this message to you
it is written with a heavy heart, stricken with an arrow
I fear, my beloved angel, that I will not return to your arms
my brothers in arms and I
we
fought with valor, pride and honor
we splattered the remains of the enemy with sword and heavy armor
all that befitting our royal household
I made our name strong, held the shield long
Hercules himself shined down from above a wicked smile
witnessing the carnage dealt by us for many a mile
necessary slaughter to save our people from slavery
impending annihilation; destruction
stopped by a few men’s bravery
my dear
do not fear
Xerxes’ armies will never come near
he rethinks his plans now as the Persians lay beaten down upon our shores
I was never one to lay wages; not one to keep score
if I were blessed with such luck I would say it’s us 1 and them zero
please read this letter to my sons
let them remember me as a hero
and not the man left to die on the battlefield
an arrow of inferior wood piercing my heart
I share a tear of pain in my final thoughts
I cry, not for the pain I am left with
but for the strength I lack
to return to you
and tell you that
I love you
and will prepare a place for us
to forever exist
high atop Mt. Olympus
I die now my darling
the darkness is creeping in
my bones heavy with sleep
eyes filled with regret
now realizing
I wasn’t able to tell the world
you are the closest thing to Heaven
a man could get
"It's not good for all of our wishes to be fulfilled. Through sickness, we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest and through hate, the value of love." - greek proverb
