Persian Way

I raised my sons
In what the ancient
Greeks called the
Persian Way,
To draw the bow
And speak the truth.
We played board games
On war at the university
And hobby stores in Austin,
We valued the truth above
Any temporary gain from
A falsehood though we
Knew deceit was the
Heart of war and guile
A virtue pursuing victory.
We eschewed self-delusion
Trying to see objectively
The value of each thing.
Their mother’s tenderness
Tempered my lessons
With her love for life
And our pets and us.
They were all Sergeants
In the army leading
Motivating, preparing
Troops to get real.