Sappho was an Archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbos. She is known for her lyric poetry, and was widely regarded as one of the greatest lyric poets.
This piece is an incomplete poem, which I’ve completed ( in italics).
In my eyes he matches the gods, that man who
sits there facing you–any man whatever–
listening from close by to the sweetness of your
voice as you talk, the
sweetness of your laughter: yes, that–I swear it–
sets the heart to shaking inside my breast, since
once I look at you for a moment, I can’t
speak any longer,
but my tongue breaks down, and then all at once a
subtle fire races inside my skin, my
eyes can’t see a thing and a whirring whistle
thrums at my hearing,
cold sweat covers me and a trembling takes
a hold of me all over: I’m greener than the
grass is and appear to myself to be little
short of dying.
But all must be endured, since even a poor
man like me is bound to have feelings
of longing
My face leaks – joining the sweat from my brow
But I will not let you see this river of my heart’s desire
I cast my eyes upon your form – one final time
Perhaps
in another time
in another space
your eyes will see me, only
and your laughter will be as cool water
-quenching my fire
September 13, 2019 at 10:38 pm
This is wonderfully done, Viv! ❤️ I love the yearning, the passion in “Perhaps in another time
in another space your eyes will see me, only and your laughter will be as cool water -quenching my fire.” Wowww! 😍 Thank you so much for writing to the prompt! ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 13, 2019 at 10:45 pm
Thank you, Sanaa for the prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 14, 2019 at 2:13 am
❤️❤️❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 13, 2019 at 10:53 pm
Oh, gorgeous! I could feel his yearning; almost uttered his sigh. Worthy of Sappho!
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 16, 2019 at 8:56 am
Thanks Rosemary!
LikeLike
September 14, 2019 at 2:51 am
I love his hope that one day her laughter will be cool water quenching his fire.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 16, 2019 at 8:55 am
Thanks Sherry!
LikeLike
September 14, 2019 at 4:18 am
Snap! We both chose to finish Sappho’s poem. Sorry your man never returned! I hope you enjoyed writing to this prompt as much as I did Vivian.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 16, 2019 at 8:56 am
I did, indeed- and enjoyed yours too!
LikeLike
September 14, 2019 at 4:49 am
Vivian, I liked your end, “your laughter will be as cool water -quenching my fire.”
Yes, time truly does heal. But many times that is too late for us. I hope not for your heroin.
..
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 16, 2019 at 8:57 am
Fingers crossed!
LikeLike
September 14, 2019 at 6:09 am
Love the passionate longing at the end. A beautiful dream it is. It’s sad that ‘happily ever after’ seldom happens. Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 16, 2019 at 8:57 am
That’s life I guess. thanks for reading 🙂
LikeLike
September 15, 2019 at 5:34 pm
So much longing in those closing lines… One can only hope with the speaker.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 15, 2019 at 6:10 pm
Thanks Magaly!😊
LikeLike
September 15, 2019 at 11:57 pm
I love this choice to exit the pain and longing, to sigh and move on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 16, 2019 at 8:50 am
Thanks Susan 🙂
LikeLike
September 16, 2019 at 8:25 pm
There is a painful physicality that sometimes goes along with unrequited love. I can see how it might feel like an intimate circle of hell, where only the one going through it resides. I don’t know if his pride helps him or hurts him more in the end.
LikeLiked by 1 person
September 16, 2019 at 11:16 pm
Thanks Rommy! Who knows?
LikeLike