The Meeting of Samson & Hercules

The Meeting of Samson & Hercules

        Samson:

“First I killed a Lion, then I wed a Philistine,
And set a Riddle tricky-hard, that nobody could guess;
And when they did, I killed those men and stole their Clothing Fine,
Then put away my Wife because she lured me to Confess.
But then I tried to get her back, and set alight their Crops,
And killed with just a Jawbone many Kinsmen of the Spouse.
I wrecked the Gaza Gates; but whore Delilah made me drop.
My Locks were Cut, my Eyes gouged Shut,
I ground their Grain and heard them Strut.
They Laughed and Ridiculed me, but, I’m Bringing down the House !

We are alike, my Friend, we are alike,
Both you and I:
We long to feel the Kick within,
The Rush to fight, the Rage to win.
I know you Well, my Friend: the Urge to strike,
The Eye for Eye.
Our Patience shot, our Caution scarred,
We Hammer home and Hammer hard.
And that is why we Labour so:
To Cull and Raze, to Crush and Rend.
We Smite this World and Overthrow;
We Soar and Blaze, my Friend.”

        Hercules:

“I too slew a Lion, then the vicious Hydra beast,
I caught the Stag, I killed the Boar, and swept the Stables clean,
I stopped the Birds Carnivorous and in their Man-eating Feast,
And captured Bull and Horses, and the Girdle of a Queen,
I rustled Oxen Cattle, and scrumped Apples made of Gold,
I even took old Cerberus for walkies, (out of doors !)
And with that were my Tasks complete, my Duties Dozenfold.
But here I must curb Glorylust,
This List ignores the trailing Dust,
The endless Dash and frenzied Thrust that Drove me through these Chores.

We are alike, my Friend, we are alike,
Both you and I:
We neither one good Husbands make,
Too Quick to blow, too Slow to brake.
I know you Well, my Friend: the bursting Dyke,
The sacred High.
My Wife I killed, my Children too;
My Furies great, my Forethoughts few.
For punishment I Laboured so,
To drain the Pus and make Amend.
I pray this World need ne’er more Know
The Likes of us, my Friend.”

Obviously, the poem isn’t directly related to the film poster (Italy 1963) – I just like it.  The poster, that is, I’ve never seen the movie.  Incidentally, it was released with it’s English dubbing as Hercules, Samson & Ulysses – and no, it wasn’t this particular flick that was redubbed in Hercules Returns.