Cavafy: A Toast to Mark Felt

This is a poem that is on the wall of my friend Stuart Walzer's study, next to his Bronze Star citation from the Battle of the Bulge. Cavafy also has a nice poem about Barbarians, and about Ithaka. An Orthodox Greek living in Alexandria.....Some useful insight for us there.

http://cavafis.compupress.gr/

Thermopylae

Honor to those who in their lives are committed and guard their Thermopylae.

Never stirring from duty.

Just and upright in all their deeds.

But with pity and compassion, too.

Generous whenever they are rich, and when they are poor again a little generous.

Again helping as much as they are able.

Always speaking the truth, but without rancor for those who lie.

And they merit greater honor when they forsee (and many do forsee) that the Ephialtes will finally appear.

And in the end, the Medes will go through.

Constantine Peter Cavafy 1904