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POEM: Sorrows of Helen

Stripped of her pride
Disrobed and left bare
By men too pompous to even care
Shamefaced, she wishes desperately to hide

The pouring rains are a reflection of her sorrow
Broken and torn
Scarred by their searing scorn
She relishes her past but dreads the arrival of tomorrow

She’s free from Britain’s reign
As far as we can see
But is she really?
As the shackles of debt cause her children pain

Sometimes, she wishes to be back in Mama Britain’s bosom
She wanted to be free but didn’t realize freedom had its cost
Mama Britain allowed her to leave but her sagely presence was lost
Now, she’s entrenched in gloom

Lucy is no longer Helen of the west
No longer a gem like her namesake from Troy
For she’s become their toy
Like Christ’s crown of thorns, her title is given in jest

Once a prize fought over by great men
Wars of warships and booming cannons
From kings to barons
Now a chunk of meat dangling over a hungry lion’s den

Oh, how they’ve turned this queen into a prostitute
Selling her so cheaply
Hurting her deeply
Leaving her vulnerable and destitute

They’ve sold her for almost nothing at all
Almost as cheaply as their ideals
Yet, they have demands steeper than her hills
Bringing her down to her knees, forcing her to crawl

Honey-tongued men have fooled her children for decades
Preying on their naivetè
Day after day
For they are the masters and everyone else butlers and maids
Telling them only what they wish to hear
Never what they should fear
As they only pretend to care
Like the serpent, who whispered in Eve’s ear

They poison their integrity with lies
Inextricably interwoven in a web
Preying on the plebs
Like the hungry spider approaching entangled flies

Helen fears her children will be left without a legacy
Without an heirloom for generations to enjoy
Something for every man, woman, girl and boy
Whose futures are all at these men’s mercy

The trade winds sigh with Helen
Disillusioned, just like her
Gliding across the ocean in a whisper
Just like her, used and abused by men

One day she’ll be free from the bondage of worry
Her children will be free again
No more pain
One day, it will all be history

By Marlan J Leon

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