A Duel of Songs

They fight tonight, and Patty would not sleep.
Inspired by Venus, spirited by Mars,
Two shining stars, two favorite guitars
Would play for her, and pray, and cry, and weep.

And from the past she swiftly can recall
The snaky ribbons of moonlight.  Apart
George held himself, and he was all in all
For her, enchanting Patty’s heart.

She can’t forget their first breath-taking dance,
A tender touch of hands, a tender glance.
Then suddenly that gaze aroused a fire,
Enslaved the body with a wild desire.

George broke the silence, livening the strings,
He gave to Patty light and splendid wings,
The wings of memory, the memory of bliss.
Oh, how sweet and sad to reminisce!

           “Aweary Perseus, approaching the brine,
            All of a sudden saw in the sunshine
            A marble statue, (so snow-white!),
            The Beauty chained against the shore cliff tight.

            He couldn’t tear himself away from that
            Unearthly, odd and thrilling view.
            But then he noticed closely looking at
            Her face, a tear (clear mountain dew).

            Then blew the wind, untwined a golden curl,
            Light shiny lock, and he was struck by a thought:
            It wasn’t the marble statue, but a girl,
            Such a living creature as he ever sought.

            The son of Zeus, he rushed to her headlong,
            Attracted by such Beauty, never seen
            Before. She was an angel from a song
            And Heaven’s rival, but a doleful Queen.

            And then he asked her in his painful grief:
           “Who dared to commit this awful crime?
            Who was that fiend, that villain, beast and thief?
            Who stole and chained you poor thing sublime?”

            She hopelessly looked at him and said:
           “I am Andromeda, the princess”.  Half-aswoon
            She murmur’d with a face so pale and sad:
           “I will be food for the Sea Monster soon.

            My mother boasted: I was a goodly lass,
            More lovely than the Daughters of the Great
            Sea God Poseidon. He for that trespass
            Has cruelly punished me and sealed my fate”.

            At that same moment rose a stronger gale.
            The billowing skies, and all was gloom and doom.
            The sea displayed the Monster’s head and tail.
            Both, Sun and Hope, melted in the brume.

            Brave Perseus who cut the Gorgon’s head
            Off in the past, he did not waste his time:
            With magic sandals on he flew full speed ahead
            To meet the fearful Beast and kill him in his prime.

            The Monster moved apart his jaws with such a smack.
            He hastened to the Girl to have a tasty meal.
            When Perseus, being full of wrath and zeal,
            Thrust his renowned sword into the Monster’s back.

            The  magic sandals lifted Perseus quick,
            His shadow casting on the troubled Main*.
            The bleeding Monster, furious and sick,
            Attacked that shadow mistakenly in vain.

            Meanwhile the hero assailed him from behind
            And wounded him again. A flood of blood
            Rose up, fell down, made the Monster blind.
            Two stabs  – and he was tombed in the sea-bottom mud…”

George went on singing.  What befell
This bard? And did it catch the fancy of his wife?
Well, she was as if she was under a spell,
Reviewing once again the pages of her life.

She could predict what he would tell her next.
She knew the Myth, and what he meant to say:
He is the artist, she’s attractive clay,
Clay in the Master’s hands (such crystalline subtext!)

Yes, he would risk his life in her behalf,
He would protect her bravely on the straight.
But he would travel, she would lonely wait,
While he’d caress his Ladies with a laugh.

Bright constellation, looking from the sky
Down at Patty, keeps her all adrift.
Andromeda and Perseus, Good Bye.
Let Eric show his love and his poetic gift.

He’s George’s bosom friend. And even they could eat
A bushel of salt together. No way
For Human Being’s Friendship  to compete
With Love: it loses, fails; it dies away.

Man’s Friendship beats wild Passion in the fields,
Fights strong Attraction down, hits it back.
But what about Love?  If Love to Friendship yields,
It’s not a love, it’s something else. Alack!

           “She was to me like any other bird,
            A bowing acquaintance, Buddy’s spouse.
            From that gird-loving Lady of his house
            Feline amenities I fairly often heard.

            Once I was very busy and annoy’d
            By lack of luck, exhausted for a while.
            I definitely tried to avoid
            All company  and searched for a secluded isle.

            To my regret I had been forced to join
            A Business Party. (No way to shirk!)
            When drinking scotch and eating tenderloin,
            I thought of quick escape and my unfinished work.

            She came to me.  She did not realize
            How close I had been to being rude,
            And cursing to myself:  a waste of time and food;
            I arrogantly looked inside her clear eyes.

           “I’m sorry to disturb you,”  then she said,
           “I have no business matter to discuss.
            I’m tired, and my thoughts are: What a mess and muss.
            I miss you, Eric, nothing else to add.”

            How she said these words and how she looked
            Was contrary to everything around.
            From underneath my feet it cut the ground.
            Good gracious! My resistant heart was hooked.

            Official discussions, smiles rehearsed.
            All talks around business targets whirled.
           “I miss you” was a real outburst,
            Informal words in such a formal world.

            She was embarrassed, waiting with a sigh,
            All in a tremble standing nearby.
            The moon was wet:  I saw it through the pane.
            It certainly was going to rain.

            And I was born again despite my own wishes.
            Day after day,  I rocked this boat of mine.
            I fed my heart with the delicious dishes,
            The thought of her, her images divine.

            My doubts fought each other every day.
            I told to myself: “Apply the brakes.
            She has been changed. Her heart is far away.
            She does not care for your pains and aches.

            So put a bridle on your feelings, boy.
            She is your Buddy’s wife – forget it not.”
            But she’s the essence of my life and joy.
            I’m tied to her and fumbled at the knot .

            Without her there’re neither dreams nor verse.
            All women failed to help me to detach
            Her from my heart. And in the Universe
            My soul could not reveal a better match…”

Thus Eric tried to express his deep
And unexpected love, his dreams and doubts,
Was Patty touched?  Yes, she was in the clouds,
But down to Earth she made her sudden leap.

She was afraid of such a crazy passion.
She asked herself: “Oh, would the marriage kill
This kind of love? Or would his love be still
That strong and deep without regression?”

Who knows? Fifty-fifty, five-to-ten.
Don’t think it twice. Don’t go to-and-fro.
For every bullet has its billet, so
It’s time to choose between deserving men.