Abdesybaris

Great desiccation rears its head

a decision is made marking a watershed

an arrangement with exhibitionism in mind

creation of a cistern one of a kind.

Enormous like an emperor's pool

a pond the ocean fish could befool

reservoir rewriting human history

accolades won for this revitalising hymnary.

Ere the water tank we begin to synthesise

first a brilliant fundraiser must be held

for our city's glory on its walls to crystallise

coveted by others a monument unparalleled.

Sung as the greatest wonder of the world

incidentally, a resplendent architectural marvel

shall never be left simplistic to join the fold

but complete with a fountain of the whitest marble.

Months of backbreaking work and geometric calculation

followed by breathers of bacchanalian revelry

then eftsoons resumed with enhanced dedication

may we proudly present to you the well of reverie.

Anacreon has written a poem to celebrate

fabulous rhapsody our sophistication extols

Abderian creation which gods has made irate

without further ado, the unveiling, begin the drum roll!

The veil is lifted and dropped like a pin

wonderment has taken prisoners the crowd

words of the poet accompanied by harp and violin

speechless and ecstatic, feelings abound.

Engravings of Poseidon and his underwater legions

seductive Nereids encircle the fountain's brim

visitors in droves will come from other regions

genuflect before our glitz and stature which theirs bedim.

The bovine gaze is interrupted by some chortle

a liliputian resident and the city's madman laugh

the orchestra  pauses at the jester carrying a bauble

pride gives way to trepidation spotting the gaffe.

The madman hollers; ''Extravaganza, sans substance!''

The toddler cries out; ''I spy water's absence!''

Anacreon mussitates; ''Gods, 'tis Democritus birthplace!''

King groans; ''To him, founder of the atom, we, a disgrace!''

Guest Diogenes advises; ''Bolt your city gate!''

''At all times if possible or, better yet, go fortify it!''

''For it is loose so take the furbelow to corrugate.''

''Before the whole of Abdera slips out of its outfit.''

On sparkling wine's ebullience we lost our minds

with a handful of mites, nature the birdbrain provides

consigned to oblivion the blueprint for the aqueduct

from the bile duct, caustic green reviews will eruct.

Forever remembered as a laughingstock

the city whose name will give the definition

local attributive used as term to mock

registered in dictionaries under vainglorious omission.

Laughter travels through the air currents

the boastful quenched their thirst in opulent torrents

spouting from an overwrought blunder

infeasible for anyone else to steal this thunder.

The laughter reaches the coast of Sybaris

announcing the grand cistern was filled up with hybris

became the urinal of Xerxes and Darius the First

tiara and scimitar, jesters in menial gratuity submersed.

The Sybarites couldn't pay any attention

up to their necks and eyeballs in luxuriation

living to gluttonise and squander daily

opprobrium wouldn't stop indulge themselves so gaily.

Materialism, this city's sacred dogma

licentiousness, tepidity regarded as good karma

symposia and festivals garble the derisive cackle

the sound reaching their ears perceived as wine gargle.

Day after day and night after night

under the moon and stars or in broad daylight

they continued with a life of leisure and frolics

leaving all tasks to slaves, their workaholics.

Magna Graecia's lands were blessed

lives fed on podgy harvest with added zest

ships loaded with goods arrived at the bustling harbour

bartering exotic foods before every departure.

Once, a wealthy trader woke up with lumbago

being out of shape and soft like leavened dough

for sleeping on a bed sprinkled with rose petals

he called in sick owing to a folded one's sting of nettles.

Not a rooster's crow was to be heard at dawn

for screaming all were ousted from the city of Sybaris

drawing on the clinophiles' faces a permanent yawn

before every new day's sunrise pierced the sky cribrous.

When the Sybarite Myndirides traveled to Sycion

asking Cleisthenes' daughter's hand in marriage

he was escorted by a thousand slave-drawn carriage

attended by chefs, huntsmen, fishermen, a sapid scion.

The fellow citizens of Myndirides were gourmands

their mouths always full of exotic and rich viands

prepared by the best cooking and confectionery hands

inventors held yearly patents for their culinary birth pangs.

Invitations to the sumptuous annual banquet 

were sent to their recipients one year ahead

blacksmiths and carpenters were forced out

their professions being strenuous and loud.

There was an incident of a Sybarite fainting

the aristocrat collapsed in an episode of syncope

some workers moiled on a roof to lay the slating

standard reaction from those who lived so carefree.

People recounted the story of that tragedy

another Sybarite hearing this lost his joviality

he begged them to stop immediately narrating

felt acutely the workers' toil, his ribs started aching.

Balneae focused on rigorous learning

loutrochoi were taught not to be perturbing

slowly and carefully they showered the bathers

doing caldarium, tepidarium or frigitarium favours.

During 6th century BC, Sybaris skirmished with Kroton

pleasures tolled the death knell for a great glutton

in 510 BC, Kroton dissolved Sybaris by the river Crathis

lethargy turned the brass warrior statue into verdigris.