Poems (Hardy)/The greek girl's invocation to Athena
THE GREEK GIRL'S
INVOCATION TO ATHENA
INVOCATION TO ATHENA
O DWELLER in the holy mountain, hear,
And to my portals come, and, coming, flash
On all I am the light of thy clear eyes,
Thy unforgiving eyes, whose search I fear,
Yet crave as my release from ways unwise;
Complacent hours of mine have known the crash
And judgment of thine impartial spear,
And found its wounding better than caresses
Of her, that goddess of the Golden Tresses.
And to my portals come, and, coming, flash
On all I am the light of thy clear eyes,
Thy unforgiving eyes, whose search I fear,
Yet crave as my release from ways unwise;
Complacent hours of mine have known the crash
And judgment of thine impartial spear,
And found its wounding better than caresses
Of her, that goddess of the Golden Tresses.
Athena, come. Door and window wait,
And porch and twining vine and hearthstone wait;
The table hath for thee the golden plate;
The chamber hath for thee the couch of state;
Oh, dwell with me, and be my word, my thought,
My eloquence of deed, that shall be wrought,
But only as thou plannest it to be,
When I companioned am of thee.
And porch and twining vine and hearthstone wait;
The table hath for thee the golden plate;
The chamber hath for thee the couch of state;
Oh, dwell with me, and be my word, my thought,
My eloquence of deed, that shall be wrought,
But only as thou plannest it to be,
When I companioned am of thee.