Sappho's Dirge

Looking at the Pleiades Poetess Sappho sheds tears Do the Pleiades ever know That a friend here is waiting for them Magic and marvel fill the green isles That throb like the rosary of the sea The spark, the dream, and the sea-speak: Surging and surfing over the waves of Time Fighting and fighting, the men are in ruins Still they are beating the war-drums again Divorced and distempered the women in huts Are distressed without enough drinking water They shout there is no place at home For those who do not return to work at home We shall never clear their debts We stand only for ourselves hereafter Watching the Pleiades Sappho sings her tears To listen to the dirge of long waiting The Pleiades come down