Wild Friday at Poets United

I am jumping back in to be part of Wild Friday over at Poets United.   Thank you, Sanaa!     

I owe a lot of you a visit...more of that for the next post.  The prompt is to finish this poem that is written by Sappho.

  In a world dominated by men, it was rare to see a woman in ancient times to wield such power in writing. Sappho's songs were regarded as outstanding, so revered was she that the people of those times referred to her as the "Tenth Muse," and her songs were passed down over centuries inspiring generations of Poets, none of whom managed to replicate her command of metre and sensual artistry.

So, where did Sappho come from? Her estimated birth date places her sometime after the composition and transmission of the works of the Homeric Poets, which told stories of the Trojan War and are preserved in the epics known as the 'Iliad,' and the 'Odyssey.' 




In my eyes he matches the gods 


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 [








Which brings me to question: what could have been the conclusion? What more could have been said? The fact that the poem is incomplete leaves much to be contemplated and adds a certain level of mystery. I remember reading and re-reading this poem and each time marveling at the possibility of there having been at least one more stanza in completing it. 

So, for our first Wild Friday at Poets United, I invite you to write poetry and offer the following two options:

1) Find a poem which is also incomplete and write a response poem that works like an ending for your choice.
                                                       
2) Or if you don't feel like finding a different poem then use Sappho's.




"But all must be endured, since even a poor {



arrow lingers in moon's shadows
inflicting vapid amnesia}
 penumbra's fringe intersects indigo veil
as wild scarlet flames glow
 while the sea caresses 
Earth's brown shoulders
beads of  sweat glistens like
morning dew
  French kiss lingers
on proud majestic peaks
 sweet salt intersects 
 bridge opens
tide rises 
Moon's embryo
tugs your gravity
 ego's waves ripple 
 gently fall
as your breath surges 
indigo surf curves, cascades and falls
your grey eyes fluent 
in mooring possibilities. 

©Ella Wilson


unsplash-logoEvie S.

Comments

Sumana Roy said…
So beautiful, so beautiful. "Moon's embryo / tugs your gravity" swoon-worthy lines! Wow!
Very nice, Ella!
And that is an unusual way to end a poem.
Good to hear from you!
Sanaa Rizvi said…
Oh gosh this is absolutely splendid, Ella!❤️ Especially love; " Moon's embryo tugs your gravity ego's waves ripple gently fall as your breath surges indigo surf curves." Thank you so much for writing to the prompt!❤️
Jim said…
Welcome back, Ella. A nice finish that you wrote, see !!, some more could be written.
I liked your line, "French kiss lingers" as it reminds me that I didn't know what that meant until I was almost twenty, a girl taught me. I suppose dating and kissing lessons are on line now.
But in my time girls taught all that to the boys. I enjoyed learning. The ones I know were good teachers and they have taught me a lot.
..
Sherry Blue Sky said…
Ella, you finished it BEAUTIFULLY......it is SO wonderful to see you here again. Yay. Keep coming back. I love the way you weave your words, the gorgeous imagery...........this was a beautiful read. I didnt exactly follow the rules, just wrote what came when I read Sappho's poem.......
Wonderful imagery. You brought new depth to Sappho’s poem - quite a feat!
Magaly Guerrero said…
I just love, love, love that it ends with "possibilities". Every romance should end that way. Or, should we say, start?
Rommy said…
I love how the sensuality of the natural world served as an extended metaphor for expressing the subject's overwhelming emotions. There's always this larger than life feeling that comes when people fall head over heels in love.
Ella said…
Sumana-Thank you, so much! I adore the moon and it seems to find a way into a lot of my poems~

Ella said…
Alex-Thank you, for stopping by. It is nice to get your feedback~ I hope to blog more. I am going to do a book challenge. I will share more soon. Take Care, captain!

Ella said…
Sanaa-Thank you, so much for asking me! I will do better this week. I should have waited. There was too much going on this past week-two birthdays, writing deadlines, and then I lost the internet. Try, try again~

Jim-You are fun! Thank you and I am glad you liked your homework-lol! I loved your poem~

Sherry-Thank you, so much! I still have a few cards for you~ We lost the internet here a lot. I live near farm land... I am glad you didn't follow the rules...make it yours and you did and it was wonderful~

Rosemary-Thank you, so much!~ It was quite the poem that Sappho wrote-whoa!

L.Diane-Thank you, so much! It was nice of you to stop by~

Ella said…
Magaly-Thank you! I loved you thoughts and yes, I think we should start and end always with possibilities!!

Rommy-Yes, it is larger than life isn't it the way people swoon and get in a trance dance over the allure of love. Thank you, so much!