On the Passing of Charybdis (from an unnamed seaman)

[tectak]

He stands the prow 'til salt flakes from his lashes
seasoning the oar-cranks with his "Ho!"
We'll ride the planks when Troy is naught but ashes

and still he'll cry, "there's not much more to go."
See him standing regal in his armor,
(that corpse was treated better by the crows),

while rotting rowers' rags brings thoughts of warmer
days before he made me beg for supper,
before a hero's worth eclipsed a farmer.

Our poor ship blanches, twisting timbers up, her
fantail tries to swim aft from her keel
as blackened hoarspit stains her leeward scuppers

my oar can't scum but sea foam for its meal.
"Odysseus", the name forever moored
in stars and lore, while we feel Poseidon's heel

that bronze-plate fool is playing with his sword.
Should I break the oarlock's leather-thong cord
and knock that prancing hero overboard?

See my great friend's (erthona RIP and much missed)
Charybdis and Scylla on this site. Just for interest. Always a good subject between the rock and the hard place I enjoyed this take.
Best,
tectak