Konstantinos Konstantinidis \u2013 Amfiktion writes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The store went bankrupt<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and the shelves were left,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and the deserted old man Thomas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
goes barefoot to the thorns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He scattered his wealth<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and now he has a few things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He, like a Texan cowboy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
doesn’t give up\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
he grabbed his gun,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and goes on a robbery spree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 How’s the store going, old man Thomas?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 It’s going badly, he answers me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The loans ate me up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Money has become expensive,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can’t print it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The big boss holds it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
he gives me orders\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I try to collect it,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
but the debt tightens me like a noose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it hurts me<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The yellow man in the East,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the bear hunter in the North,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
millions of third-worlders are coming in\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The way we’re going, the shop<\/p>\n\n\n\n
will soon close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only thing I have that’s terrible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grandpa’s gun, the cowboy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He settles every dispute in a minute<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and doesn’t give a bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the cowboy’s grace\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
took root in the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His ranch grew,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with his gun he enslaved people,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and with his ingenuity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and hard work,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uncle Thomas’s shop<\/p>\n\n\n\n
became the first in all of humanity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in quantity and quality,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
but he never forgot aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But lately times have changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From being the market leader and world leader,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the store began to decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Listen, friend, if you don’t steal, you won’t get rich.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like a pauper, my friends also disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now an idea torments me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to try once more<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the cowboy behavior,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with the strongest army in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since I can’t hurt them otherwise,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
such as financially,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ll bore them to death \u2014 and wherever I go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First the weak:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
thunderous blows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most will be afraid<\/p>\n\n\n\n
as if they were tired of guns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With robbery, I will enrich the store<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and from the profit of submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My great-grandfather had said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Divide and conquer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will sow weeds in the earth,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
at the same time<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will shout “peace” with the funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will hit them<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and they will think<\/p>\n\n\n\n
that they are hitting each other,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
until their armies start a war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I will crush them,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
even with my nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first blow \u2014 my advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They, you fools,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
may fire a few shots\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
but I will have done them the damage<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We will also reduce the population! .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Bravo, Uncle Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You arrange everything without the innkeeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You of the many are now a target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone now knows your plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your cunning will not pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It looks like Hitler’s recipe<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You must have copied it<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the West, these things don’t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They, Uncle Thomas,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
are holding you back with the bonds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you’re going to wipe them out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you gone crazy, like “Thersites”?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now you’re burning down your own house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They’ll hit you in the heart<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and you’ll kill your children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The worst evil: division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In American democracy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
fascism doesn’t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In democratic values, its strength<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and in the unity of the West, its power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American Republic will once again do great things<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American people will once again dominate<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like the front engine of the West<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will be freed from its debts and with the dollar it will prevail<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will modernize and continue in its destiny (25\/1\/26)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amphiktyon \u2013 Major General (retd) Konstantinos Konstantinidis<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Author, Member of the Society of Greek Writers<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n AMPHIKTYON ARTICLES & BOOKS-POEMS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n AMPHIKTYON.BLOGSPOT.COM (English language)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ANCIENT OLYMPICS-ATHLETICS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Konstantinos Konstantinidis \u2013 Amfiktion writes The store went bankrupt and the shelves were left, and the deserted old man Thomas goes barefoot to the thorns. He scattered his wealth and now he has a few things. He, like a Texan cowboy, doesn’t give up\u2022 he grabbed his gun, and goes on a robbery spree. \u2014 … <\/p>\n