Michael N iflis
LEONIDAS' THERMOPYLAE
"Stranger , tell the Spartan s
we behaved as they would wish
us to, and are buried here."
Now silent and no one there
yet still indisputabl y his ...
and in the day this descendant
of Hercul es turned
to
stone
never had he seen such an army
as to ld by the distant g lints
of approaching sunlit steel.
And as he moved his body
this way, then tha t to see,
thoughtfull y sh ading his logisti c brow,
those bes ide could hear
his lea thers o f war stra ining
against the song
in his body
and his long spear
scrap ing aga in st stone.
All th ere to ho ld were fa thers
of li ving sons. Yet man y
he sen t away-then held it
fift y to one for days.
