Athena of the Polis,
watch over me, I pray you,
as I walk the byways of your city;
see me as I wander and keep me safe
as I honor you with my visits
to the libraries
the galleries
the schools
the museums,
and pray with the rhythm of my feet
against the sidewalks and cobblestoned street.
The merchants, the artists, the craftsmen,
they sing the litany of your skills
in the call to buy their wares,
the pounding of hammers;
the creaking of wheels against the road
are the instrumentation of your hymns.
O Athena, I exult in the richness
of this, your place,
this temple to civilization,
and thank you, grateful that I am so lucky
as to be allowed to share in it.
Io Athena!
The city, too, is your temple,
and gladly I worship there.
All Their Voices 