February 15, Olympic Truce

 

“Ekecheiria” was the term for Greek Olympic peace.

When the Olympic Games were held, all Grecian wars would cease.

They carried that tradition on for several centuries,  (1)

So athletes travelled safely with these peacetime guarantees.

 

The IOC and UN both embraced the Grecian rule,

That throughout the Olympiad, our temperatures should cool.  (2)

But Putin is now threatening invasion of Ukraine,

Disrupting “ekecheiria” for narcissistic gain.

 

In ancient Greece, the athletes used all kinds of supplements:

The hearts and testicles of bulls with herbal complements.

Today our drugs are better; lots of athletes try to cheat.

In Russia it’s state sponsored; disregard for rules—-complete.

 

The reputation of the IOC is not so great,

With stories of bribes coaxing members to cooperate. (3)

Could they improve their reputation in this Russian mess?

Both doping and war mongering: these two crimes coalesce.

 

Vlad Putin and tradition keep the Russians flouting laws.

With doping and aggression, they’ve provided two last straws.

Their coaches and their athletes cheat; their “Tsar” now threatens war.  (4)

If all this goes unpunished, what are IOC rules for?

 

It’s Vladimir who sets the tone, as anyone can see.

There’s right and wrong and there’s the “honor” of the IOC.

So, ban the Russians from the Games: for how long?  What is fair?

Why not enforce the ban as long as Vladimir is there?

 

• Traditionally starting in 776 BC.
• The IOC adopted the idea in 1992, the UN in 1993. Here’s an opportunity to show that they were serious.
• Rio de Janeiro, 2016. Tokyo, 2020.  Look them up.
• To take Ukraine “back” and prevent it from joining NATO. Some observers opine that Putin wants to re-establish the Soviet Union.