Poems of Athens

Athens, Beautiful Athens

Athens, Beautiful Athens, in the West Virginia hills,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, scene of many Trojan thrills,

Home of Concord College,

Home, Sweet Home to me,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, peaceful harmony in its bells.

Athens, Beautiful Athens, true friendship is at its door,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, many families have built its lore,

Sons and daughters flourish,

Parents fill with pride,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, its bright future has much in store.

Athens, Beautiful Athens, where the seasons gently turn,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, where the students come to learn,

Pine trees frame the vista,

Searching for the sun,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, where freedom’s flame will always burn.

Athens, Beautiful Athens, once was named for Concord Church,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, now is known for its great worth,

Reaching for the needy,

Teaching for the truth,

Athens, Beautiful Athens, a favored spot on God’s green Earth!

---Joe Friedl, 2002

The Pines of Athens

I saw the pines of Athens

As I was passing by,

The tall green pines of Athens

Against the pearl gray sky.

My thoughts were with the Athens men

Who went abroad to die.

The years go fast in Athens,

The golden years they say,

The tall school buildings all look down

On careless boys at play.

But when the bugles sounded war

They put their games away.

They left the peaceful mountains,

The school yard and the town,

The well kept lawns of Athens,

To find a bloody ground,

They gave their happy youth away

For home and freedoms sound.

God rest you, happy gentlemen,

Who laid your good lives down,

Who took the helmet and the gun,

Instead of cap and gown,

God bring you to a better place,

Than even Athens town.

---With acknowledgement to Winifred Letts,

“The Spires of Oxford”