Invocation of a Goddess:
Sing
goddess the wrath of Achilles,
whose
swift feet carried the Myrmidons across the Aegean.
Sing
goddess the tale of Hector,
breaker
of horses, whose glory of Troy still pulses today.
Sing
goddess the song of doltish Paris,
whose
arrow killed Greece’s greatest warrior.
Sing
of Briseis who tamed a soldier’s heart
And
brought peace to his lifetime of war.
Sing
goddess that of witty Odysseus,
whose
said to have lived in the time of great Achilles
And
of the ruler of Kings, Agamemnon
whose
brother Menelaus brought forth the Trojan War.
Sing
goddess, forever the songs of fallen heroes
Of
Swift Achilles, and Ithaca’s’ wily King
Of
Poseidon’s tribute which brought down the gates of Troy
Of
Helen, child born of a swan and god,
Sing
of Patroclus who fell at Hector’s blade
Sing
forever of their glory, lest they be forgotten
God
help us all, against the wrath of Achilles.
I enjoy the incantational quality of this piece. (I can hear a certain rhythm of voice and drum as I read it.)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as an avowed hellenophile...thank you for your words. :)
I am taking an Ancient Greek and Roman class this year and we just finished up the Iliad. Needless to say; I was inspired.
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