Greek Offerings Poem by NurViktoria Ellen

Greek Offerings
I know just how those Greeks must feel -
When I went down and out
and asked for no more than a cup of tea
to lift my spirits from disgrace
you opened your cheque book
and with a frown and great foresight acquired majority shares in my life.

When I was without means and lost
all sense of purpose and self-preservation
you handed me a job with strings attached long enough
to hang myself with.

When I was desperate and needed
one kind word to make me feel human again
you gave me a good talking to,
detailed your terms and conditions
for unsolicited advice sold cheaply, clearly worried I might
forget to express eternal gratitude.

Stumbling over my own mistakes
I fell so deep I was black and blue
You threw me a reluctant lifeline
dragged me out of the abyss and set to
kicking that nonsense about self-determination
out of me.

When I took a wrong turn in the maze of my life
ran out of options and asked for a minute to catch my breath
you wouldn’t give me the time of day
to recover my bearings but declared I had
accepted the gift horse signed the small print and was
no longer free to choose
my own destination.