Ode to Alex "au naturel" Athanassiou
By Jerome Martin

While lurking in the basements,
pendulating from the stairs,
while gripping at our weapons
in the lesser Quincy lairs,
we sure expected something,
yet you caught us unawares.

We may not understand just
why you hid in the ladies' john,
or why you wandered up and
down the salad bar so long
before at last you made your
mind and flashed us all your schlong--

but though Christine is trauma-
tized and Annie missed the fun,
and though a dozen deadlines
passed while we stalked with our guns,
we'd like to celebrate you
here: this time we'll say you won.

Three cheers for Alex as he passes
for light-foot lads and fleeing asses.

-jlm.