Elizabeth and Campos
Oh Muses come to me and sing
Of Campos, a Trojan man, an Earl,
The last young Trojan left on earth
Except for his Elizabeth, the love
He had to leave a while
In his travels into Greece.
Sing, dear Muses, of his return
Back home to his Elizabeth, the flower
Of his heart and mind, her sweet scent
Drawing him home again. The strange
Beasts he met and battled with,
The angry oceans he crossed to see
His beloved Elizabeth once again –
A love much deeper than the sea.
Campos set out on the shore, his army at his back,
Sands swirled around his feet within the waves
Washing to shore the blood of the serpent that he killed
To get to this black sandy shore. He emerged
From the sea, goldened by the sun, great Helios
Drawing his carriage across the sky as he smiled
Down on Campos’ men. Patroklos the Rough
Stood beside him at his right, a nameless giant
Shadowed his left side. Behind him stood
Other sons of Herakles, all sworn to always fight
Beside the mighty Campos, just and beautiful
In all things, a model for the world in all his deeds
And in his love for his beautiful Elizabeth.
"Are you sure that this is where we must land
On this hot day?" The great Patroklos asked Campos.
The nameless giant nodded too. So Campos turned to see
His men each in the eye as men should always do.
"I asked for you to join me in my quest to find my love.
This is a quest I only ask myself, not of my friends,
To fulfill into the end. There is no shame in going home.
But as for me, I’ll carry on. Dear Elizabeth should never feel
As alone again as she now must. She longs for me as I for her –
I will continue on." And with that said, a cheer arose
Among the mighty men, defiance shown against all odds –
Their loyalty earned in every battle won. And so the leapt ashore,
Weapons strapped on every arm, and every man
Strode behind their Earl, sure he led them to a man
To shameless honors and victories.
As Campos led them
Onto shore, the black earth rumbled at their feet.
A fire erupted into the sky and darkened Selene’s lovely face
Just now beginning to rise. The men stepped back –
They were unafraid, just surprised at such a sudden burst –
They readied their weapons and their shields as Campos
Stepped out on the plain.
"Whoever comes to challenge me,
Do know I won’t for a moment stop. My dear Elizabeth
Beckons me, and nothing shall keep me away from her."
Then Campos heard a voice from all around –
So loud it must have been a god – and all the men
Now trembled when they heard, "You set your foot
On sacred ground. You shall not pass nor turn around
Until the punishment has been met – your blood for sacred ground."
But Campos raised is weapon arm and shook it
At the voice that came.
"You do not understand my plight.
You stand within my way. And nothing on this earth or sky
Shall keep me from my love. Nothing on earth is as strong
As my love for fair Elizabeth – if you don’t move, then you shall die.
This promise I shall keep."
Out from the trees stepped Luceron –
A light shined form his eyes. A serpent’s tongue wrapped
Around his teeth that jut from his massive lower jaws
And under each bright eye. Muscles bulged under hairy scales
And a scorpion’s tail struck overhead. Eagle claws
On both his feet Gripped the earth and dig out holes
Deep enough to bury each grown man who stood with swords at sides.
He looked as red as the dark red clay from which he sprung, death
Played across his snapping jaws. And then he shook his mane.
"You do not frighten me, great Luceron, As terrible
As you may look. If I must kill you so I can reach
Elizabeth, then that I’ll do upon this very day. I say this
As a warning made to you – for you must know I will prevail."
Luceron puffed up his chest and sucked the air
From out of each of the great warriors’ lungs,
And blew out a most terrible wind, an acrid stench
That knocked the men onto the sand and killed
The two weakest of the men. But Campos stood,
He held his ground, and waited for the monster
To blow out its blast of air – and then great Campos
Launched a spear into its mouth, and leapt
When it held firm. The monster roared,
And red blood flowed, but Luceron stood his ground.
He pulled the spear out of his mouth and charged
Across the plain. Campos’ men launched all their spears –
The monster’s massive scaled deflected all that came –
But Campos crouched and when he came to see
The texture of the tongue hanging from the monster’s mouth,
Campos leapt upon its neck and grabbed it by its
Shaggy mane. He climbed up to the monster’s head
And with his sword he stabbed it to the hilt
Into the monster’s shining eye, and then he grabbed it
By the jaws and pulled with all his might. Luceron
Had never known a man to be a great and strong
As Campos seemed to be. His massive jaws stayed open
As great Campos pulled back with both his arms.
And then the monster and great Campos felt
The monster’s jaw tear ripping loose, and Campos
Ripped the monster’s jaw from off its angry face.
As great Campos ripped the jaw, he fell
Down to the ground. And with a massive tooth
From that very jaw, he stabbed Luceron into the heart,
Between the plates that made his bellowing chest.
And with a heave and such a roar that one more man
Just died of fright, Luceron fell and breathed his last,
And Campos stood upon his corpse, victorious,
Yet ready now to move on to see Elizabeth.
He led his men on to the mountains rising to the sky –
The mountains where the gods and monsters dwelled,
Standing unfortunately for all who stood in the way
Of the mighty Campos and his beloved Elizabeth.
For Elizabeth was the one and only truest love
Of Campos the slayer of the monsters and men
Who brought terrible things to the earth and men –
Campos, who sought good for all men and love
Most dear for his beautiful beloved Elizabeth,
Most fair and just of women on the earth.
Elizabeth, who Campos loved more than his own life,
Who he would make his wife upon his return to her,
Waited for her beloved Campos to return, certain
Of his return to her, his promise that he would always
Return to her, and never leave her again for so long.
So Campos led his men across the broad and grassy plains
And into the towering mountains, to uncertain dangers.
At a town they rested and were told of a way home
More quickly through the rugged mountains – a path
Through, into a cave that tunneled all the way through
To the other side. A danger, though, they were warned –
A mythic monster no one had ever seen, for none returned.
"How then do you know the tunnel goes through?"
Campos asked the man.
"The monster was not
Always there," the man replied to him. "There was a time
When we were wealthy from the trade passing through,
But now we have fallen to poverty, a city taxed
By this monster’s presence."
Campos made a promise
To the man and city: "This borough shall not be ruled
By this monster’s fickle ways. I shall free the cavern
And this city from his great oppression."
So Campos went and led his men from the town
And deep into the tunnel cave. They walked
And were surprised to find they traveled unmolested.
The light came in the other side and all
Walked with relief to the cavern mouth.
They came into an open field, great Helios it blinded
All their eyes as his light reflected from the scales
Of the mountainous monster standing there
Between them and the other cave that lead
Through the other mountain towering into the clouds.
The men stood firm, hands on arms, ready for a fight.
The monster opened its cavernous mouth, and light
Flashed from its massive temples as a soothing voice
Slipped off its tongue and the monster spoke down to the men.
"My dear, dear men, what brings you here
Into my humble home? Have you come to smell my flowers,
Seek my wisdom or my treasures?"
But Campos said
In his mighty voice, "We came to open up the way
That you have closed so very long. Men have vanished
In this place and poverty brings darkness and despair
To the town that traded though this tunnel I have passed."
"Have you come here, all this way, just to accuse me,
Having the voice of the accusers and ignorant
Of what I, the accused, have to say? This is just?"
The monster asked with a charming voice,
Convincing in its subtlety.
"So speak, and let us hear
Your side, and tell us who you are."
The monster smiled its thousand teeth and spoke to all the men:
"I have come to make sure my men that live on either side
Won’t waste their lives in frivolous things. I just let pass
What they need, when I’ve spent sufficient time perusing it.
All will pass that’s needed. You may call me Kratic."
"Well, great Kratic, I’ve seen the men with whom
You’ve interfered. Their once-great city lies in ruins,
Their only food what they an grow, their goods
All lie in waste, all rots right where it sits. You seize
These good from your own greed, all justified with lies."
"Do you not know with whom you speak?"
"Do you, great Kratic, know yourself? I’m Campos –
I’m protector of men. And I will stop the harm you bring,
Buy force or by persuasion. Which? The choice belongs to you."
Great Kratic brought out his golden wings
And flapped tornadoes with each great wing.
"I’ll fly to see if what you have come here to claim
Bears any resemblance to the truth," Kratic said
And with a leap flew up into the sky. "I will return
And if I find you lie, then I will kill you all."
He flew away and left silent Campos and his men
To wait for his return. When he left one of Campos’ men
Came up to Campos and said to him, "Master,
The great monster left. Let us go and continue on."
But Campos looked the man in his eyes and said to him,
"We do not run, nor do we leave poor men to rot
With such a wasting life. We will wait to hear Kratic’s word,
To see what he has to say." And so the men stood firm
And waited for the monster to soon return. Campos
Stood, patient and impatient, for Kratic’s return
So Campos could continue on to see his love. Their wait
Was not long – the mighty Kratic flew at such a speed
That man had never seen, and he returned to Campos
And his men to report on what he’d seen.
"I’ve seen
That what you say is true. My wisdom, it has failed.
I shall banish myself from this land and let men
Do as their follies will – those are wiser, more than me –
My plans, they all have failed." And with a flap, Kratick flew
Up into the sky. "I’ll rejoin my brothers in the air,
And remain, a star to guide men by. But I shall never
err again and interrupt their lives."
"Great Kratic,"
Campos yelled to him, "No greater soul now lives
In either man or beast as the one that lies in you.
Good travels – I’m joyful at the thought
That reason won out over war."
With that great Kratic
Shot up in the air and vanished toward the sun.
And Campos led forth all his men, and finished
Traveling through the mountain’s tunnels.
The city on the other side, on hearing of his deed,
Celebrated for three days, and lifted statues to his name –
But Campos stayed for but a night – his love
For dear Elizabeth more precious than all awards.
That morning’s parade escorted him back on the road,
And Campos set out for Elizabeth the love he missed
More than all the world if it were lost to him.
That night, the stars traced out her face, his dreams
Brought her to him. She walked on starlight,
Her black and wavy hair a halo on her face, a wind
Bellowed out her blouse, her breast broke forth
In all their beauty, an image of Aphrodite herself,
Elizabeth blessed by that beautiful goddess
With such beauty and sensual love. Campos reached
Out with his arms and took his love up to his chest
And kissed her lips and pressed her close, bare breasts
Upon her chest. But when he went to drop her clothes,
The sun began to shine, and Campos woke into the light
And cursed its early glow. But then he said,
"I should not curse – no dreamy ghost
Can quite compare with Elizabeth in flesh and bone.
Dear Helios, do please forgive my curse – you’re right
To wake me so I can go and see my true Elizabeth."
And so great Campos woke his men to get them on the way,
And Campos swore love to the sun for waking him that day.
And so they traveled on for days until they came up to a hill,
Steep and slick, of marble rock, whose path
Lay in their way. But when great Campos reached the top,
A giant eagle swooped from on high, and grabbed
Great Campos in his claws and lifted him to the sky.
His men flung spears and rocks and arrows,
All to no avail. And Campos flew off from his men,
They thought a certain meal. Indeed, the eagle
Flew him to a giant nest upon a peak above the clouds
Where eaglets lay in wait. But when she landed
Campos leapt upon her back and with his sword,
Stabbed through the neck of the great bird. She dropped,
Dead on the nest, and Campos stood up on her corpse.
And with a sword-swing he killed all the young.
He pulled some feathers from her wings and tied them
To his legs. He cut the longest feathers from her wings
And shoved his arms into their hollow sheathes
And stepped out on the rocky ledge to catch
The gusting wind. He flew up on the fashioned wings
And looked down at the passing earth.
He found the way to get back home, and flew
On updrafts and on currents meant to bring him home
To Elizabeth. So on these currents Campos flew
Until he recognized his home. And dear Elizabeth
Standing in the doorway of their home. She looked
And saw an eagle fly down to the place she stood,
And jumped into the house to close the door, not knowing
Who it was. But Campos called down to his love,
"Fear not, for it is me. I’ve returned as I had promised you."
With this, most fair Elizabeth flung back the door and ran
To him as Campos lighted on the ground and shed
His feather wings. He ran to her and took her in his arms
And kissed her full and lovely lips, and swept her in his arms
And walked with her into the house. He shed his clothes
And took off hers and lay her naked in their bed.
And here he stayed in her until his men came by the house
To tell the news of Campos’ sure demise five days
After great Campos came back to his love’s fair arms.
And when they saw their leader step safe and alive
Out from his marble house, they cheered and yelled
Out so all could hear, "Great Campos has returned,
Long live his fame and his great love, Elizabeth –
Long live her lovely name." And so the word
Spread through the land so everyone could hear
the love of Campos and his beloved Elizabeth,
A love which Campos fought men and monsters for,
A love worth telling everyone who’d hear.
