On Scherian Shores

Posted by Brad Osborne on July 22, 2021 · 16 Comments 

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Alcinous gave the Greek king stage

And reveled in the tales he told

His stories had become a wage

As he was shipwrecked with no gold

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And when Alcinous asked of love

Odysseus gave pause to think

He smiled at lamp lit above

Tilting head to finish his drink

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I have known hundreds of women

But I do not say this as boast

Rarified the magic given

To ones I remember the most

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For of all the beauties I have known

Each so rare and so exquisite

The greatest on two hands be shown

Life left changed by angel’s visit

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Their love did shine above the rest

In a life that passed by so fast

No measure given to which best

Just one was first and one was last

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The first love, her name was Storge

I knew her when I was still young

But the love we still share today

Did our family bond become

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Another love since younger years

Dear Philia, the greatest friend

The shoulder that felt all the tears

An ungendered love that could mend

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Yet transient love comes and goes

Days spent sharing a laugh or smile

But the heart was still an echo

And this bond was a bit fragile

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Then, as young men are want to do

Becoming man now more than myth

It was Eros’ love I knew

And her sultry feminine gifts

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She had me chained for many years

Abandoned in her sweet desires

Until Xenia showed a love clear

Cold nights warmed by sharing fire

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She I had loved in many eyes

Each kind word and helpful gesture

Graciousness her hiding’s demise

Her love gave the world new texture

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My love for Philautia just grew

The seed in birth, esteem bestowed

Struggled through each trial anew

The only love that I was owed

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Mirrored her reflecting the self

And finding how to love him too

This type of love the greatest wealth

But the heart demands more from you

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So, with a golden wedding ring

Loved Pragma met at the altar

Lasting bond hoped duty would bring

The easiest love to falter

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Amongst the years and all the trysts

A love that let the heart act fool

The uncomplicated Ludus

Flirtatious, enticing, playful

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For those the well-remembered fun

And each was a slice of heaven

But there is still the greatest one

Making final count just seven

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Of all the loves from tame to wild

The only one that really stays

Is the love you have for your child

An endless love named, Agape

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Filed under Poetry · Tagged with agape, Alcinous, Greek mythology, legend, love, muses of love, myth, Odysseus, philosophy, poem, Poetry, Scheria, strict form poetry, The Odyssey, types of love