Hercules and his Twelve Labors

Heracles is Caught

The blacken iron creaks so slow
And through the gates of death they go.
Into a teeming mass of ghost
A large and eerie spectral host.

That jostle pushing to and fro
Issuing cries of mournful woe.
At fate their give by judge of hell
The place where all for ever dwell.

And hero peaks through coat of god
At men who underworld now trod.
To spy their ways and see his fate
When hero passes deathly gate.

So demi-god does spy the horde
That live in realm of deathlike lord
And pities all the wicked cries
Thats fates bestowed for theft and lies.

Then spies in crowd his family stood
Amongst the host of right and good.
From cloak of god the hero breaks
And runs to family sealing fate.

Then loudest gasp is heard in hell
Where all the ghostly beings dwell.
That mortal man had brave the road
To journey down to dead's abode.

To wife and children hero cries
By godlings hand his family died.
And vow with Somnus first was made
To lead that family up from grave.

To dearest kin the hero clings
Not knowing trouble actions brings.
And soon a horde of ghost had come
At sight of man their stricken dumb.

That mortal folk had brave their lair
A sight in hell that's highly rare.
The angry bellow part the crowd
At sound of fury great and loud.

In midst of ghost the Thracian lord
Along with kingdoms mighty horde
Of men who're slain at hero's hand
In mortal realm where last they stand.

Then a greater legion came to bear
To join with Tyrant Diomedes fare.
The Lydian foes from southern lands
Who waged a war on scale most grand.

Against Omphale Lydias queen
Who hero woed to make him king.
And many railed with loudest cry
That Zeuses son the godling die.