The Fair helen of TroyA Poem by Mark Hurlin SheltonA fun poem about the poet "falling in love "with a marble bust of Helen of Troy in the Victoria and Albert Museum, writtten in the late 1980s.
No fair lady
knows my love no fond caress do i enjoy (not up till now), Could this be love ? for the fair Helen of Troy Before me stands a marble bust with lips that seem like fruits of joy for a kiss of that mouth oh how i lust the lips of Helen of Troy So when i am sure no-one is about for people would not think it right for me to kiss you on the lips and pout and make sounds of rapt delight they would think me a not- normal boy to love you fair Helen of Troy The sands of time that fall between us alas we are so far apart it’s the age difference well what i mean is it really breaks my heart to stand here quite alone and love your image carved in stone It has been said for your love a mighty war raged on for many years when man’s passion is moved it’s force is much more than men can measure in tears for when ‘Paris’ came and snatched you away how ‘Menelaos’ ( the loser )cried he loved you more than words can say and so his lips grew dry how he must have missed you and longed to kiss you he was an angry jealous boy so he raised a mighty army and off he sailed to declare his war on Troy As i muse on you and i watch you here gazing in your stony eyes call me strange, or even queer how hopelessly i romanticise yet nevertheless, it is plain to see (although with Menelaos i do sympathise that if he came sailing o’er the sea to claim you as his prize i would offer him words of sympathy for he would have to wage a war with me No longer can we meet like this or i will get put away all of this incomparable bliss must end at once, today our love cannot be in this century they’ll put me in the cuckoo farm and throw away the key Why must it be this way ? i know what they will say “its an aberration of the heart” they will put up a fight and say it’s not right “this is no way to love art” Breaking up is hard to do especially with a girl like you although my passions are enthused the curator would not be amused by watching me enjoy your lips fair Helen of Troy If i were turned to marble or to stone and set down here beside you then never would you feel alone for with eternal kisses i’d provide you and all the voyeurs passing through these foyers would ask” who-ever is this boy ? observe his bliss how he doth kiss the fair Helen of Troy © 2019 Mark Hurlin Shelton |
StatsAuthorMark Hurlin SheltonCape Town, Western Cape, South AfricaAboutI am from Cape Town, South Africa i am a poet, singer, songwriter, Juggler, Clown, magician and Balloon artist. I have written hundreds of poems since I was quite young. more..Writing
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