The Climax
“To be philosophical, then, is to be vigilant – sôphron –
about one’s erotic mania.”
~ http://ndpr.nd.edu/news/plato-and-the-poets/
A manly mindfulness is not enough.
You have to think as hard as marble cut
To temple pillars carved with grooves and tough
As battle shields. You have to make will jut
Against strong feelings, strong as hurricane
Or tidal wave so when they hit you with
Their force your sturdiness will calmly strain
To triumph. You become the truer myth,
The earthquake-proof determination set
Against emotions, and the cliffs and coast
Rebuffing watery feelings. They have met
Your stiff resistance. Then your heart can boast
Of total victory. It will be above
All that and then collapse in lust and love.
