Love Stood at my Door

This is the Ancient Greek poem by the woman poet Anacreontea which I mentioned at my last post. I must have halted and restarted a dozen times, and still I am less than satisfied with the result. It's just so difficult!

Love Stood at my Door

It was past midnight, the yawning stars already dreamed of dawn
and all the tribes of mortal men lay in slumber, sacked by toil
't was then that Love stood at my door and knocked asking to enter.
"Who is it" said I; "Leave me be - you shred my dreams to ribbons"
A boy's voice came "Fear me not, for I am only a child;
I'm lost and frightened, cold and wet walking the rainy night"

Pity I felt on hearing this and I looked outside, and I saw a toddler nude]
but for toy bow and quiver, with stubby wings upon his back, soaked and blue with cold.]
I let him in, brought him to sit right next to the fireplace
I toweled the water from his hair and warmed his hands in mine.

And he, as soon as he had felt the fire's warmth restore him
"I'll try my toy, to see if the damp has ruined the bowstring's vigor"
He nocked a dart point to the floor, drew the string to his ear,
then suddenly he turned on me and let his arrow fly-
it struck me right in the chest and vanished into nothing-

He vaulted upwards from the floor, stubby wings madly flapping
his eyes huge liquid with glee, his mouth alive with giggles
and between gasping for breath whooping grinning and giggling
he shouted straight down at me: "My Lady, I'm so sorry!
My bow is sound as can be, but oops! your heart will shatter."