Melpomene
O timeless muse! In characters as shifting as the light,
A mask to set thy aspect or present a new disguise;
Theatrical enactments ranged from merriment to spite,
With characters so boldly staged, sweet lustre in thine eyes!
Zeus and Mnemosyne thy parents — in Olympus housed,
Their puissant combination is the loving fount of thee!
Art and science are your skills and joyously espoused,
Our faculties of learning are thy lofty ministry.
Roused in pure devotion as I view thee from the pew,
Worshipping your shifting forms and beauty from the dark,
The stage alight by thy brave light in multicoloured hue,
Set in wide emotion by thy strong expressive spark.
Afterward, I lay meself in gardens to relax,
Looking at the stars aloft reclining on the grass,
Thee — the holy water which mine empty vessel lacks,
Thee — the glint of sapphire where I am sullen brass.
Living in mine thoughts the sprightly happiness I saw,
I see again the rainbows of your person and your masks,
Melpomene, your genius I earnestly adore,
Ever in your sacred light my stricken spirit basks!
ADL
adamdaniel 