108. The Space Race

When the red haired man came to office
He gave us challenges.
He challenged the Soviets in Cuba.
He challenged his citizens.
He challenged us in a race to the moon.
Soviets started with Sputnik.
Then we started our own with animals and, finally, people.
We made great headway
The modules slowly developed
As Gemini became Apollo
The race continued onward.
Sprinting into the future.
Armstrong was selected for the mission.
The rockets blasted off.
They landed,
He stepped onto new soil.
One small step for man
And a giant leap
Into the future.
The flag was planted and footprints preserved.
The quietness of space was different
From the chaos at home.
May that chaos never disturb the silent peace of space.
Instead of shouting from the mountaintops like the sun wanted,
We quietly looked in awe at the fragile beauty of the earth.
Before the red-haired man’s dreams could come true,
A bullet from the books
Sent him away.

52. The Peloponnesian War

Athena became powerful in her golden age.

Her reach extended across the Mediterranean.

Ares didn’t appreciate her power.

He started grumbling

Jealous of the goddess’s power.

Suspecting a war she told Pericles.

He gathered his people

Ordered walls to be built.

The fortifications were strong.

Rivaling the Cyclopian walls of Troy.

He ordered ships to be built.

Athena’s powerful trireme navy

Became a force to be reckoned with.

Then Ares made his move.

A spear was thrust right into Athena’s heart.

She protected her people

With Pericles’ impenetrable shield.

For a time Ares was kept at bay.

He only got angrier.

He went to Apollo

Asking for help.

Apollo complied by sending a great plague.

The plague that killed Athena’s lion.

She continued to fight on

Despite the plague and military losses.

Abandoning old strategies

With more aggressive ones

She went on the attack.

The small island of Melos was the first target.

Then she directed her spear toward Sicily.

Trying to capture Syracuse

She was mortally wounded

Ares seized the opportunity

Raiding the countryside.

Athena’s democracy voted themselves out

In favor of oligarchy.

The people restored their freedom and continued the fight.

If Athena was going to die, she’d rather be free.

Ares went east

Talking to the once proud dragon.

“I offer you the cities of Anatolia,”

He said,

“In exchange for a little help.”

The dragon smiled in his coils.

Coughing up gold to fund a navy.

Once the ships were built

Ares squeezed Athena until she gave up.

49. Xerxes

Persia licked his wounds

Anger still festered deep inside

At the failed invasion of Greece.

His loyal servant, Darius passed away

With words to the scaly beast:

“Take my son Xerxes,” he said in dying breath,

“He will get the revenge you seek.”

Xerxes!

The powerful!

Xerxes!

The ruthless!

Xerxes!

The immortal!

Xerxes!

The conqueror!

Xerxes!

The vengeful!

Xerxes!

The conqueror!

As good as his father’s word

He built the dragon ships

By the thousands.

He raised armies

By the millions.

Attempted to bridge the Hellespont

But Poseidon wouldn’t cooperate.

He sent his mighty storms

To disrupt the dragon’s ships.

Xerxes whipped the mighty sea god

Three hundred times.

Then the god let them pass.

Knowing of Ares’ mighty men on the other side.

As Athena prepared her great wooden shield

The dragon sent heralds

Demanding sacrifices and offerings.

When they didn’t comply

They were marked for the dragon’s mighty fire.

Athena and Ares prepared for war.

Ares was given command of all forces.

Odds were against Greece.

Even Apollo at Delphi

Predicted they’d lose

Unless a mighty king made a great sacrifice.

48. Marathon

The dragon looked toward Greece.

The pain of Sardis was still fresh.

Darius was constantly reminded

With the dragon’s nightly grumblings.

“We must punish those that defy us,”

The dragon said to him.

Darius agreed.

The dragon snapped at Greece.

Gaining the horn of Thrace.

With his teeth still freshly bloodied from Thracian blood

He snapped up Eretria.

The dragon wasn’t satisfied.

His hunger and anger at the Greeks

Raged within him.

Thrace and Eretria were just appetizers.

He roared with rage toward the city of Marathon.

Athena rushed to the city to protect it.

A shield made of ships blocked the dragon from her people.

The messenger,

Philippides,

Ran to Sparta

Dying on Ares’ doorstep

With his last breath.

A warning of incoming Persia.

Ares looked at the man wishing he could help.

It would be rude to leave the feast table of Apollo.

Athena was left to fend for herself.

She stood alone against the great beast.

With sword in one hand

Shield in the other

She bravely charged the dragon and his forces

Letting out her enormous battle cry

Among clashing phalanxian armor.

Startled by the attack

The dragon fled from the armored goddess.

Many were lost on the Greek side

But the dragon lost a lot more.

The Greek dead were cremated.

A stone erected

So that the glorious grove of Marathon can tell of his valor

As can the long haired Persian,

Who well remembers it.

The dragon did remember it.

With every passing day

It festered

Turning and churning in his stomach.

At every meal Darius replied

“Lord, remember the Athenians.”

42. The Dark Ages of Greece

The age of heroes and marble men

Came to an end

After the fall of Troy

Culture collapsed

Darkness took over the land.

Weeds grew among ancient temples

As thrones were abandoned by kings.

Palaces fell to the ground

As marble men

Eroded from their pedestals.

The armies disbanded leaving the comforting barracks.

The river of trade slowly dwindled to a trickle.

The temples went unfinished

With none to raise up Athena.

None to exalt Zeus.

No prayers to mother Hera

And none to shining Apollo

Where did these proud, vibrant people go?

To Anatolia

Where they waited out this cold, uncertain time

In the warm weather flowing in from the Greek Sea.

While they reveled in the ancient past

The glories of old Odysseus

The glorious fall of Troy.

Still, things were bubbling

Under the Greek mainland’s surface

Geometric pottery

Started directing paths

To and Iron Age revival.