Protector of sheep, goats and cattle,
Pillar of strength, personified phallus,
Herald of gods, arrant pilferer,
Patron of travellers, indefatigable runner,
Flyer like a breath of wind
Over the watery sea and the vast earth,
Leader of the souls of Penelope's slain suitors
As they flew rustling like bats
To the welcoming fields of asphodel,
Where the ghosts of those who are no longer dwell,
What can you do to help us in this hell
Of perpetual wars that we inhabit?
Teach us with your cunning, bit by bit,
To learn to live as ghosts with ghosts
On the world's unbearably barren coasts.