watercolor

Barbara Watts
island of thrinacia

Book 12: Lines 137-147

I fear she'll lunge out again with all of her six heads
and seize as many men. No, row for your lives,
invoke Brute Force, I tell you, Scylla's mother--
she spawned her to scourge mankind,
she can stop the monster's next attack!

Then you will make the island of Thrinacia...
where herds of the Sungod's cattle graze, and fat sheep
and seven herds of oxen, as many sheepflocks, rich and woolly,
fifty head in each. No breeding swells their number,
nor do they ever die. And goddesses herd them on,
nymphs with glinting hair, Phaethusa, Lampetie,
born to the Sungod Helios by radiant Neaera.
Their queenly mother bred and reared them both
then settled them on the island of Thrinacia--
their homeland seas away--
to guard their father's sheep and longhorn cattle.