Bittersweet Victory (Incomplete)

Gliding on her gilded wings

Swift Nike comes to me

Sweet Goddess over Victoy

Garland-weaver to kings

Comes to me within my dreams

Touching tenderly upon the ground

She turned with eyes of grief

Her voice as sad and sans relief

My heart would break at the sound

Morbid each word echoed and rebound.

"The battle pieces have been thrown

But ere the first's pike's clash

Or silver swift flying arrow flash

Lo, the flag too soon been shown

And white already been flown,

And now sent, I have come unto thee

Not clothed in garments of gold

But in iron that burns so cold

For though I stand here as you see

I am but a hollow Victory."

"Milady, please, I do implore,"

I said now upon bended knee

"If thou'rt but a hollow Victory

For reason stand thou here before

the one who, thou so adores.

Why come upon thy gilded flight

If there has no battle been

And the sun no blood has seen

How can laurels bend with thy might

Crown a victor without battle's sight?"

"Thy adversary has now withdrawn"

The gildless goddess spoke in tone

That froze fire and melted bone

"The worthy one, who did not warn

Attacking on that fateful morn

She who crossed thy river's bands

She who breached the great walls

Toppled your gates beneath her soles

She who came upon thy lands

So innocently in song and dance

O son of man that you could not know

That the Siren's call was near

In danger all you held dear

Your kingdom come to overthrow

At the way her eyes would glow

But you saw through that disguise

And drew your sword to make war

To play the games that boys so adore

But you did not see the fear in her eyes

The truth behind the truth behind the lies

Now she has withdrawn beyond your reach

And you still speak of making battle

While your spear and sword rattle

Because your own heart has heard her's beseech

That there is something for her to teach."

"But how, O Goddess, can I find her now

For she has made it clear