Let Your Muse Inspire

We merry nine daughters of feared Zeus
dance gaily in cheerful procession
through sun-touched emerald hills.
We make our home near our handsome father,
near the border of
wild Thessaly and civilized Macedonia.

Ah, what a delight, a sensation it is to be
without a care or worry in the world.
Except for the arts we are each best at;
of course, all bards or artists with a shred of talent
must get their inspiration,
their gift from us,
we who are happy patronesses of song and art.

We are the Muses
who delight in song
and delight those who hear our raised voices
given over to passionate music.

Our melodies can be heard
for miles around;
the nearby Graces and lovely Desire
daily stop to listen to the voices
not as deadly as the Sirens,’
but certainly just as captivating.

Our grand parades leave
lasting footprints
in fresh, wet soil,
Mother Gaia’s gift of earth,
and draw the attention of mortals
and deathless gods alike.

It is thanks to us that mankind has lasting stories
of ancient times, not so long ago.
The Trojan War.
The now-famed Odyssey.
Aeneas’ Rome.
We are the indirect, unacknowledged force
driving the gifted, like Homer and Beowulf.

But we do not only give our blessings to those
who were farm boys before our help and became
a name permanent in history;
we also freely give our genius
to those who do not yet know that they are gifted.

Perhaps this is you,
young and unsure of the future ahead of you.
The Fates have already spun your thread,
though they will not raise the aged scissors
to cut your Thread of Life just yet.
You have more things to do with our gifts,
to make you remembered for all time.

Perhaps you do not know it yet,
for things are constantly changing
in your life with dramas and tragedies,
the expertise of our sister,
Melpomene,
and in this way,
we affect you as well.
Your fate we cannot twist
unless it is already twisted and bent.
Only the Fates know
precisely what your future holds.
Do not dare ask;
be bold and find out yourself.

Yet you mortals are all alike in one way.

What every mortal has wanted
since the beginning of time
(and we were not born so long
after the first mortal was)
was to be remembered in history
for one thing or another,
to get some sort of spotlight,
some fame and recognition.

Trust us;
we can help you do this
if you simply open your eyes,
listen to our loudly praised songs,
and make your own.

For it is us who give you your talent,
your passion in all that you do.
For you make a particular art
special to you in your own way
out of what you do best.
Let us help you succeed.
Succumb to the power;
let your muse inspire forever more.