MASTERPIECE #3020

/// Four huge horses surrounded by crowds
pull the sun god by racing on clouds.
But a Titan-ic thief,
(who will soon come to grief),
hides a torch which in clothing he shrouds.

/// This Titan, for Zeus, had made man,
and grew fond of him, hatching a plan.
To combat cold, dark night,
he’d give man heat and light;
bringing fire from the sun, if he can.

/// From the chariot bright sunlight showered.
Sly Prometheus, ‘neath a shield glowered.
He stole fire from the gods,
thus increasing the odds
that in time man will be solar powered.

/// On his daily across-the-sky trips,
to fight heat from the sun, the god strips.
He gets ego massage
from his huge entourage;
there’s so many, they’ll cause an eclipse.

/// Mighty horses across the clouds charge
with Apollo’s huge aerial barge.
Watch Minerva’s broad shield.
Underneath is revealed
thief Prometheus, free and at large.

/// But how is it that Prom wasn’t viewed
stealing fire, and then why not pursued?
It seems no one reacted.
Had they all been distracted
by Apollo’s sun-bath in the nude?

/// His sly theft put Prom in a big fix;
Zeus did not respond well to such tricks.
Was this bold caper needed?
Couldn’t he have succeeded
simply rubbing together two sticks?

/// Just for being mankind’s fire-giver,
poor Prometheus went “up the river.”
To a rock he got chained
and that’s where he remained.
Fed an eagle, and that’s not chopped liver.