The Victim of Aulis

ÊÊ by Dannie Abse

A multitude of masts in the harbour.

The sails limp in the air, becalmed.

The tired sea barely moving.

The sea breathes quietly, Agamemnon.

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ The wind is dead.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 5

The sunlight leaping the waters,

the waters lapping at the boats.

Heat haze.

The King prowls the still deck

back and fore while the Captains quarrel.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 10

We only throw dice and curse.

The child!Ê The child!

The whisper of the sea, the secret of the sea;

the sea is dreaming and a tall slave sings.

What are we to do? ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 15

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ They will think of a way.

We have had nothing of education.

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ We must obey, being little men.

The cause is just.

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Leave it to the Captains.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 20

What does Calchas say?

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ The child!Ê The child!

And we thinking of our own daughters

with clumsy father-pride,

though those other virgins are faceless nowÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 25

indistinct as the mingling of voices,

as the shuffle of the sea,

the little sound of the sea.

It has been a long time.

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Leave it to the priests.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 30

Conference at Aulis.

And he, the King, listening to the whisper of Calchas,

to the sea restless in its sleep while a tall slave singsö

sings of home and alien distances,

a slow voice, sad as a light,ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 35

as a flame burning in daytime.

Agamemnon is in religion.

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ It's that or nothing now.

The child!Ê The child!

And she peering down through the fathomless mindsÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 40

of the sea, at green shadows and dark dreams of fishö

for the deep thoughts of the sea are fishö

and she trailing her small hands in the waters

playing with coloured beads of spray.

Come with me. ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 45

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Why father?

We sit on the stone quay with the sun and the seagulls.

We know nothing of rough mythologies, only fact.

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ We need the gods more than they need us.

And never will some come home again.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 50

Artemis is offended, Calchas said,

staring at golden bangles spinning on the sea,

at arrows of poisoned sunlight pricking the flat sea;

the yellow masts vertical, pointing at the blue, luxurious sky,

the white sails lagging down, without life, without wind.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 55

Calchas mumbles: Troy, Troy.

We only throw dice and curse the dawn we sailed away,

grumble and tell lewd tales of faithless women,

remembering Helen ravished in a foreign bed.

The child!Ê The child! ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 60

And the King musing: what will her mother say?

The sigh and the sadness of it. And she who has not breasts

trailing her small hands in the waters, just a child,

still a childöthat is a fearful thing.

Come with me. ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 65

ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Why father?

Murder at Aulis.

Oh the questions of the young-to-be-slain,

and the memory of black eyelashes pulled apart suddenly

revealing more white of the eye than a man bargained for.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 70

The King is in religion

whose name is great among the Greeksö

the blood, ridiculously crimson in the groves of Artemis,

and the wind howling, why father? why father?

for many days and louder in the silence of the night,ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 75

and dispossessed and possessing him in the mornings,

in the sea-spray climbing, and in the sea-howl,

as the fleet drags on aslant in the furious wind.

They thought of a way.

We are little menÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 80

who follow and obey

as the cracked sails billow out half below the leaping sea,

as the tall slave sings why Father? why Father?ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ (1951-56)