The Victim of Aulis
ΚΚ 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.
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ The wind is dead.ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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.ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 10
We only throw dice and curse.
The child!Κ 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? ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 15
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ They will think of a way.
We have had nothing of education.
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ We must obey, being little men.
The cause is just.
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ Leave it to the Captains.ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 20
What does Calchas say?
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ The child!Κ The child!
And we thinking of our own daughters
with clumsy father-pride,
though those other virgins are faceless nowΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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.
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ Leave it to the priests.ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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 singsφ
sings of home and alien distances,
a slow voice, sad as a light,ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 35
as a flame burning in daytime.
Agamemnon is in religion.
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ It's that or nothing now.
The child!Κ The child!
And she peering down through the fathomless mindsΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 40
of the sea, at green shadows and dark dreams of fishφ
for the deep thoughts of the sea are fishφ
and she trailing her small hands in the waters
playing with coloured beads of spray.
Come with me. ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 45
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ Why father?
We sit on the stone quay with the sun and the seagulls.
We know nothing of rough mythologies, only fact.
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ We need the gods more than they need us.
And never will some come home again.ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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.ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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!Κ The child! ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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 childφthat is a fearful thing.
Come with me. ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 65
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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.ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 70
The King is in religion
whose name is great among the Greeksφ
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,ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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 menΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ 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?ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ (1951-56)