Leonardo Alishan: Earthly Paradise II

Sitting by the soft fire, I will
sip my tea and tell my grandsons that
yes, I was there, on that ship
with Odysseus, though I was
a simple sailor with wax stuffed
in my ears, and I did not hear
the Sirens' song. And that
is why, my children, we are
here, together, now.

Copyright Leonardo Alishan.
From the volume Dancing Barefoot On Broken Glass, Ashod Press, New York, 1991.