2021, July 9: Thermopylae

300 men must hold the pass,

Even though they will not last,

Their swords are blunt, their shields now dented,

But these are Spartans tall and strong,

Who are the theme of the battle song,

Xerxes’ Persians come in waves,

Spartans send them to Hades caves.

They stand in the Hot Gates,

Of Thermopylae,

Funneled in tight,

Day and Night,

And when the end is in sight,

They have one last meal in hell,

But it was worth it, for they fought well.

King Leonidas rallied his men,

And they battled one last time,

Many lives were lost before their own,

Until Persians fired arrows,

And the sun was not shone,

300 Spartans held the pass,

Even though they did not last.

Their lives were taken as a toll,

But they did complete their only goal.