Captain Vageli

This is Constantine's artlog. He posted his poems in his own artlog forum for several years. He named the forum "Constantinople" and described it as "A byzantine journey through life's labyrinth."
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To honor our site members who are no longer with us.
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constantine
Posts: 2677
Joined: March 9th, 2008, 9:45 am

Captain Vageli

Post by constantine » January 5th, 2013, 11:06 am

the stories he would tell me
how he butted heads with a ram
leaving the "poor creature" stunned
dumbfounded, knees buckling...
his forehead toughened
from countless days on the soccer field
his strategies and tactics - the art of misdirection
point one way, as you kick to the other
the goalie mesmerized, knees buckling...
the teacher would give him an A
without even reading the paper, indeed
to read it would have been an insult
a waste of time, besides
it was merely a temporal anomaly, or surely
the teacher would have been the student
but the ways of the gods were unfathomable

and then,
there was the war
the night of the landing
commando, delivered by submarine
to a beach in the south of crete
into the mountain villages
to organize the resistance
the redoubtable Captain Vageli
picked up by a german convoy
civilian dressed
walkie-talkie in the briefcase
nazi fingers drumming on the lid
too nervous to even sweat
in and out of their grasp
like a dream upon waking

he told me that he would never die
until he learned the secret of life
i believed him then and i believe him now
clearly i can see him
like a genie, i shake my head
and he appears, this wondrous man
my father, Captain Vageli

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tarbaby
Posts: 329
Joined: December 17th, 2006, 5:25 pm
Location: Oz, or someplace like Kansas, but mostly stilltrucking's vanity

Re: Captain Vageli

Post by tarbaby » January 5th, 2013, 11:39 am

I like it, a lot
thanks for writing dino sometimes your poems hit the cathartic heart of me. Ever time you hit it I feel feel stronger.

On a personal note—
I wasted so many years living in dread of the man, of being his son. Seventy years before I could find the courage to honor my father.

PS
as per your request
he is back

Rascal Flatts Bless the Broken Road
Attachments
jim broken road.jpg
“Where is that man who has forgotten words that I may have a word with him?”

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SadLuckDame
Posts: 4216
Joined: September 17th, 2009, 8:25 pm

Re: Captain Vageli

Post by SadLuckDame » January 5th, 2013, 12:09 pm

Making me wake with morning smiles!
I am awake! Thank you, both.
`Do you know, I was so angry, Kitty,' Alice went on...`when I saw all the mischief you had been doing, I was very nearly opening the window, and putting you out into the snow! And you'd have deserved it, you
little mischievous darling!
~Lewis Carroll

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constantine
Posts: 2677
Joined: March 9th, 2008, 9:45 am

Re: Captain Vageli

Post by constantine » January 5th, 2013, 6:00 pm

you are so-o-o welcome, ms. dame! thank you, jack. have you talked to jim lately - i always admired his drawings.

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