The Lay of Paris: Book 2

Chorus

The green earth turns and time passes.
Divine Gods seek for the poor Mortal that shall give judgment.
The Messenger crosses the World Many times,
He speaks with the Wise Men of Ethiopia,
He converses with the Traders of Phoenicia
He dallies with the Strong of Mycenae
All refuse the poison gift of the Judgment of Gods.
Helen grows in beauty and is taken by Theseus.
Achilles is born and grows to boyhood.
In Asia the cast out Prince becomes Man
See him here
He lives and works on the verdant shoulders of Holy Ida.

Book 2 : Alexandros

Silently he crawls through dense undergrowth
Naked his nut brown body slips and slides
Past sharp thorns and savage rocks.
He stays above the shadowed pool and waits,
The sun dapples shadows over his whip-cord muscles.
Oiled ringlets frame his square jaw and handsome face,
His face burns with lust, this man of eighteen summers.
Black Eyes burn with smoldering passion,
They hold and ravage you.
He licks his nervous lips and thinks on his life.
Mirthlessly he smiles and looks down into the pool under the sweltering sun.

A Mystery has brought him here.
A mystery in his life and in this place,
For under a thorn bush on yonder high Mountain
Was he found.
Cast out he was taken by kindly widow,
All others beat him and he learnt often of the
Cruelty of life.
Bare Eighteen he has taught those who beat him their error.
He has taught them with fist and blood that no longer
Is he victim.
Many a woman has caught his eye and they fall
So easily to him.
Mystery has brought him here,
A mystery of a Nymph of the pool.

Now he waits for her,
He has seen her come here so many times.
Her naked body rising from the water,
Raven hair and bronzed body that she offers to the Sun.
The Sun that caresses her and takes her with its blinding arms.
Breasts are kissed with golden lips
Legs open to her lover takes her until she begs for him to stop.
Leaving her alone on the rock above the river she weeps from the pleasure.
Now the man wants her and he will have her.
He has planned this well and his lust drives him onward.

Suddenly a sound and he crawls deeper into mustard sand,
At the tinkle of water he watches as the nymph rises,
The water draws away from her body and he watches her hungrily.
Sunlight falls on her black hair and then on the bronze skin of her body.
He gazes lustfully at her pert breasts,
Her flat stomach flares into rounded hips
And parts into muscled legs.
Raising her hands
Beseeching her Lover to come,
She hums her hymn wordlessly,
She offers herself unsuspectingly to the youth in the bushes.
Hidden he watches and feels his manhood rise and prepare.
On the flat alter rock she lays and raises her knees,
Taking them in her hands she parts her legs,
Her womanhood opens, glistens in the sunlight.
She waits for her Lover.
But he will not come today.
The youth rises from his hiding place.

He throws himself across her body,
His cock pierces her.
Mournfully she cries in shock and fear,
As thrusting member ravages deep.
It is mortal flesh that holds her and takes her.
His beauty holds her and he thrusts into her,
Deep he thrusts and she responds.
Her body betrays her, it feels his manhood and accepts it,
Tears flow from her eyes as much from the pleasure as from the anger.
Instead of rage her mouth cries with the delight she feels.
Enjoyment washes through her chaining her to this man who has used her
Seed rushes into her body as he consummates his act.
Rolling off her he sees that she is his and he laughs
Another conquest is his and she is bonded to him.
Tears of frustration and anger sprout from her eyes,
She opens her mouth and fateful declamation springs forth.

"Alexandros the Protector you are called
But Protector you are not.
You have bound me wife to your husband and
Already I quicken with our son.
He shall come to you and you shall find grief
With his coming.
Women shall be yours and by a Woman you shall be undone
You are the ruin of all who call you family.
The downfall of Princes and Cities is your gift.
My betrayal by you shall come
But you shall need me at the end of your life
Yet I will spurn you.
I will be the revenge of all those girls and women you betray.
For you are Paris Prince of White Towered Ilium
Son of Proud Priam and Noble Hecuba.
The Prince that is foretold to be the death of the Troas,
The Prince cast onto the mountain to die."

Silent she dives from rock to water,
Into the arms of loving Father.
Her naked body slips beneath green water and he sees no rising.
Already he no longer thinks on her.
He hears her words:
Paris Prince of Troy
And knows that what his destiny demands.
Soon he will take back his birthright
All other words she said he forgets
His feet itch as he thinks on the end of his journey.

Chorus

Doom walks to Proud Troy
Doom that is in the steps of a walking man.
He has left the herds and flocks and he has another name now.
He walks towards his destiny and his family,
Onward lies the white towers of Ilium.

End of Chorus

See him who was once called Alexandros eat the road as he walks to Proud Ilium,
The dust that is stirred from his feet
Flys glittering in the Air.
In his mind he see a triumphant return to those who were Mother and Father.
As he walks others join him,
There are to be games to the God Apollo and all come to do him honour.
The white towers shimmer and grow as he walks closer to the city,
Chariots drawn by the unmatched horses of Asia ride the road.
Banners wave in the air gathering the people coming.
Trumpets and horns call those to come and give thanks.
Then he is there about him more people than he could ever imagine,
Looking up he sees the King and Queen of Ilium on their thrones.

His tongue cleaves to his mouth as he looks on these two.
White-haired Priam,
His proud black-eyed gaze sweeps his people,
Smiling his sons and daughters are with him.
The sun makes his white robe gleam.
Beside him is noble wife and mother,
The Great Queen Hecuba.
Grey her hair and firm her breasts,
Stern-faced she looks about for the sureness of the eagle seeking prey.
Next to her red-haired Kassandra,
Speaker of the word ignored.
Kassandra loved by the God and cursed for that love,
Pale Grey eyes see him and she screams in pain.

"Doom, doom has come to Proud Ilium.
The cast out son has returned!
Slay him now here he brings down our white Towers."
Confusion reigns and they see him,
He turns to his King and Queen.
"Mother and Father forgive your errant Son.
I have returned and beg the love of good parents."
Kneeling he weeps and rends his tunic till naked he prostrates himself.
Priam raises him and looks into his eyes.
Sunlight fills his eyes and the God speaks
"My Son I know you!
Hail Fair Paris Prince of Ilium."
Kassandra throws her body to the floor and screams curses into the air.

Noble Hecuba rises and silence reigns.
She gazes into his eyes and the God calls to her.
This is the son she tried to kill
This the son who's Mother was her rival
With swift violence she exposed breast and offers it to this man.
"My son feed from the breast of the Mother.
Swear no offence to Ilium and its children,
Greet your brothers and sisters
Forgive erring Parents."
His black-eyes weep and her sucks on the teat offered.
On bare knees he swears oaths and seals them with his blood.
A cloak clothes his nakedness and brave Hector Tamer of Horses
Raises him and leads him to the couch prepared.

Chorus

Alexandros no longer,
Paris is Prince
The doom of Ilium and the Troas has come
And the Three Goddesses wait for Decision.
For is not the start of tears found in a smile of happiness.
Unbidden and unseen Strife and Nemesis
Look with smiles on their Lips.

To Be continued