Not the moment when he slays the suitors
in the palace, their wild cries thicker
than history. Not the moment
when he shows them all his great deeds,
the dark scars where they tied him
from the Sirens.
Not the moment someone touches him
in wonder
and feels Hector's death,
the flames of Troy, no land.
Not any of those moments. No.
Not those but the moment
he stands face to face with only her
and takes off the last of his armor
and she comes to him and touches his shoulder.
History is what happens
when we step out of the myths
and see the real mess standing before us.
Love is what happens after that.
-Joseph Fasano
The Last Song of the World
BOA Editions, November 2024
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