Hurricane of Love

By Archway

How many years ago was it

When the heralds blew their horns

And proclaimed that all the Akhaian man -

With their flowing hair, strong Akhaian men -

Should leave their homes, their wives and sons

To fight in the name of Helen?

Ah, 'tis been far too long!

Years since I've last seen my lord's face

And held your body in my arms

As we lay in a lover's embrace.

If the gods wept as I do now,

Then perhaps the world would flood,

Destroying crops, killing blooming boys.

But perhaps that flood would bring you back,

Washed up at the door of your home,

And I would hold you up, and you hold me

While the world would crash around our ears.

My love for you, 'tis stronger than anything

Almighty Zeus could conjure.

It is like a hurricane, blowing strong winds,

Shaking the streets with its pure strength

Which no man can break with his hand;

Only the immortal gods could attempt that feat.

And alas! It would appear that they have tried

To shake our hurricane of a love,

To keep my lover from returning to me,

To keep my son from knowing whence he came,

To keep me tortured at the hands of Antinoös.

Mighty Zeus, blue-haired Poseidon,

They must be jealous of our love,

For them to detain you for twenty years.

So much has happened in the past twenty years

That you have missed, O Love!

Your son, Telemachos, has grown into a man,

Clear-headed Telemachos, he is called.

He went out to search for you,

Through the lands of Nestor, and Menelaos,

He does not give up hope.

And the suitors! Ah, your eyes would cry if you look upon them!

They eat all our food, drink our last drops of wine,

Like swine they are, pigs every one.

And they wish for me to choose one of them as husband!

None can amount to a portion of you!

The gods would be smiling upon them, indeed,

If they were even worthy of cleaning your feet!

They cannot come close to shaking our hurricane,

And how could they? When not even

Almighty Zeus can manage it!

And now comes a new guest,

Entering our house with Telemachos in the lead.

'Tis a beggar, and a welcome relief to mine eyes!

That I could serve someone who knows how to act,

Who knows his stature and respects it!

And yet my mind cannot help but wonder -

Why would Telemachos, after spending

So much time in search of you, bring back

A poor beggar?

But - oh, my heart stops its beating!

It is you, my love, my one, my only!

You know the secret of the olive tree!

With your curling hair, and strong body,

And eyes glinting like diamonds in the night!

How you made it back, I do not know,

Nor do I care!

We have beaten the gods at their own silly game!

Our hurricane of love has made them grind their teeth!

Now we have reached the eye of the storm -

And may the immortal gods let us stay like this

Forevermore!