The Sweeter Song

The Sweet Song Beckons (Based on Homer's Odyssey)
Captain Ulysses cut a powerful figure as he stood on the deck of his grat ship. The afternoon sun shimmered off the water as he strode about the ship with grace and dignity. Ulysses' every move was carefully observed by the helmsman who labored logn and hard for nothing more than the approving eye of his noble captain.
"Steady as she goes!" Ulysses boomed, his voice filling the salty air.
"Yes, sir!" was the helmsman ready reply.
After giving the command, the captain turned his iron gaze to the starboard side where land was just now coming into view. Neither the screeching gulls overhead, nor the rhythmic splash of water against the ship's side, diverted Ulysses' attention from what lay just ahead. The smell of adventure was in the air; everything was just as Ulysses liked it. Then, amidst his reverie came a voice arresting his attention.
"Captain!"
The noble leader quickly turned to find a worried seaman, eyes filled with trepidation and lips rattling with anxiety.
"Captain!" He again blared, his whole face ablaze with horror.
"Settle down!" Ulysses softly commanded, "take a deep breath and tell me what's the matter!"
The entire crew within earshot had stopped and gathered round to hear the outcome of this all-important conversation.
"Uh..we..ah..!" he sputtered, "well.. uh.. you see, sir!"
Ulysses grabbed him by the collar, yanked him wthin inches of his furrowed brow and demanded, "Come on lad, if you value your life, speak!"
The drama built as the petrified first mate raised a quivering finger due north and stuttered, "The Sirens, sir!"
Ulysses' face drew tight and a woeful sigh was heard about the ship. The Siren mermaids were just ahead, ready to sing their irresistibly enchanting song and cause the bewitched sailors to steer their vessel onto the rocks. The song of the Sirens was so sweet, so alluring, no red-blooded man could resist it. Ulysses had to act quicly - while wisdom still remained.
"Those devilish mermaids won't get us!" he announced to his fearful crew. "That's right!" That lovely, luscious, melodious music played by those beauiful mermaids wont' have its way with us. No shipwreck for us today, lads!"
But even as Ulysses pondered the intoxicating musicm, he felt his wisdom slipping. He was gripped by a magnetic urge to hear just a short strain of the legendary song of the mermaids.
"Maybe we could try and miss the rocks? NO!" He chided himself, "NO! It does this to all captains who pass by. They all think they can resist, but then lose their senses and follow the sweet music to their deaths upon the jagged rocks, while the mermaids scoff from above. NO!"
Ulysses ran to the bow of the ship, turned and bellowed for all the crewmen to hear.
"We are mere men, unable to resist the promise of sweet love in the mermaids' song. The Sirens have baited every ship before us with their songs, and every time the ships have crashed against the rocks upon which the Sirens sit. But not this time, my friends. We will not fall to their temptation; indeed, we will not even allow ourselves to be tempted!"
"I want every sailor to take some of this beeswax and put it in your ears so u can hear nothing. And tie me to the mast!"
His crew looked at each other in bewilderment.
"You heard me!" He shouted again, "Tie me to the mast! And tie me tight and fast!"
The sun angrily beat down as the disciplined crew rushed about the ship responding to Ulysses' orders. And none too soon had they crammed the wax into their ears and finished tying their Captain to the mast, but the beautiful and intoxicatin glove song of the Siren mermaids began to softly fill the air. The Siren's song, in all its passion and wonder, greeted the ship across the water as a warm fire greets cold hands on a winter's day.
The crew was oblivious - all except Ulysses who, while tied to the mast, had no wax to stop the music. Ulysses' blood ran hot with passion. "Untie me!" he screamed in anguish, "Please untie me! I command you to untie me... please, I beg you."
But the crewmen could not hear and had been commanded not to read his lips. The song grew louder and lovelier, and Ulysses groaned with sheer physical desire. He then began to scream lika a madman for someone to heed his orders and turn the ship towards the source of that sweet, lustful music. Ulysses threatened the plank, Cyclops feedings and various other forms of torture as the ship passed the Sirens' rocky coastline, and then finally beyond the reach of their song.
An exhausted Ulysses, his face a deep scarlet from the struggle, finally was untied and fell limp upon the ship's deck.
"Why?" he moaned with his remaining strength, "Why does it seem that the things I desire most in this life lead to my destruction? Why must I be restrained form something so beautiful? The mast is my savior this day from my headlong craving for that sweet by deadly song of the Siren mermaids!"

Too many times we've tried to face our problems/temptations headlong, with our own strength, and face it, if we had "me" as our master, yea things will go as expected. Things will go alright. But inside, you feel so burned out, burned out with the ropes that tie us down, with the constant restrain of being good. The "mast" being our savior is actually something so cruel, so mean as to forbid us to have something that we really want.

The Sweeter Song
Not far behind the ship of Ulysses came another great ship. These sailors also realized the dangers of the Sirens and the rocks upon which they sat.
"Captain Orpheus," the first mate enthusiastically declared, "the sweet song of the Sirens lies just ahead!"
With that announcement, the crew cheered and the great Orpheus smiled. All aroudn the ship, crewmen's voices rang with excitement. The part of the voyage that they longed for was soon at hadn. In fact, there were some fo the ship who had come along just to hear the music.
With a knowing smile, the dauntless Captain received a beautifully adorned case from his cabin boy. The acclaimed Orpheus carefully removed the priceless instrument as the crewmen stood nearby with bated breath. Then, with princely grace, he lifted the instrument above his head with a gesture of victory, while the crew around him whistled with enthrusiasim.
"Play it, Captain!" chered the helmsman.
"Come on, great Captain Orpheus, play it!" whooped the enthusiastic first mate.
All eyes were transfixed upon their hero. Captain Orpheus took his stance and began to masterfully play the most perfect music men's ears had ever heard. Each crewman became lost in the reverie of the song.
All too soon the Siren coastline was out of sight and the Maater musician concluded the song that he himself had composed. Not a single man aboard the ship was temted by the Siren's melody. In fact, no one even noticed it. Though the mermaids' music was alluring and sweet, the superb Orpheus played for his crew.... a sweeter song.

A stark contrast on how both crew were able to overcome temptation. One was by restriction, restraint, with sad, fearful and hollow hearts. The second ship came with victory. They even were enthusiastic to hear the music. But it wasn't the sirens' music they were anticipating, but the music their master captain had in mind for them. The Sweeter Song played by the great master Orpheus. Similarly, our life would be quite different: simpler, more beautiful if we had just let the Master handle our cares and worries.