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My words will drown unheard without your love

Upholding them.  The Hellespont invites

Them, as it did the young old, young pure love

Of Hero and Leander, in their nights

Of yearning colored with the night of death,

Unknown to these two till too late.  Their fate

(Her chosen fate) became the height of death.

Lord Byron, feeling lovers’ ancient weight

Upon him as he swam the Hellespont,

Defied the myths and gods because of lad

And lady.  Byron woroshiped at the font

Of all-embraching loves that God made sad.

  Love hates constraints of manly straits and seas

     And aims for lovers’ immortalities.

~ Phillip Whidden