I love Sappho. Really, she is a wonderful kind of figure from history. So little known but a character who has had such an impact on art, literature, feminism – so many things. She could well afford to hit on all the lovely young ladies in her coterie being upper class, but still, she’s pretty cool. She would totally be one of those people who I’d take my TARDIS to go hang out with. I’d take it as a personal badge of pride if she hit on me.
Hymn to Aphrodite
Most of what has survived is fragmentary from her time (she lived around 600 BC) but even Plato had nice things to say about her.
If a book of ancient writings were to be found I would love it to be a book of her writing. There is just something so soft and eloquent yet perhaps more confident and urgent than I could ever manage. So much longing and desire, loss and love. I’m not a girly girl but I still think it is just amazing.
This was my attempt at something Sappho-like – Key of Sappho.
let time drip like honeyed sugar
golden, almost too sweet to bear
pool languidly, shimmering and still
if i happen to close my eyes to sleep
i’ll rest contentedly, safely, and wake
warm, my body surrounded by you
let my fingers soon learn to play
music that only we can hear
with soft touches upon your skin
if there are no words upon my lips
it is because i have started to find
more important things than speech
let all sights and sounds delight,
senses awaken and catch flame
blaze brightly but not burn out
