Ode to Sappho

If you do not know who Sappho it is no surprise. A lot of her work was lost. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sappho for information on her.

Ode to Sappho


Do you ever wonder that which you seek for might not exist?
That only in your sweetest dreams you will find at most small glimpses of it.
Your wildest thoughts are only vapory figures that are not real.
What you felt and tried to share will never be understood by those around you.
All you wish for will slip through your fingers like water running over a dam.

That like Sappho, only small fragments of you will exist.
In a far flung future your words, your thoughts will be jumbled.
Eager eyes will try to discern what you meant to convey so long ago.
That zealots will have burned and deliberately tried to hide your works.
Those who did not agree with you exiled you from that which you loved.

That the very words and phrases you sweated over in anguish are gone.
It will all be destroyed by time, man and the endless woes of the universe.
What you wrote will be gone forever never to be seen again by human eyes.
It will have no meaning and be lost among the rotting, festering debris. 
Your thoughts will be strewn carelessly at the bottom of the chasm of time.

My words do not sing like Sappho's did from that time long ago.
Her phrases rang out in song that which she felt and thought.
To have seen through her eyes is one of my greatest and grandest wishes.
Feeling what she felt, breathing deep the fragrances in her world.
Oh, that my hand was her hand as she wrote the words that are now lost.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

This is so good and so wonderful. I love myth and tale. You had both in the words. Complete poem held me and i wanted to know more. Thank you my friend for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for reading and reviewing this writing. When I saw a movie about Sappho and found how little remained of her writing I was compelled to write this. I am glad you want to know more, that was my main goal in this poem, getting readers to look for more about a almost forgotten lyrical poet.

[Coyote Poetry]

A amazing poem and you are welcome.

[Emily]

I really like the last line!
Keep on writing!!

[Phoen-ix]

All deeply influential writers live through their admirers, and this is displayed in your piece. Your Ode to Sappho. I must say this is absolutely ethereal. Well done.

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for reading and reviewing this writing. I felt her spirit so strong when I wrote this. I am glad you liked it.

[Tessah]

That is... Incredible!! I love it, the words flow so perfectly and I thought that I was the only one who's read some of Sappho's work.

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for reading and reviewing this writing. Yes I feel such a loss when I think of all we will never see from her. I am glad you liked the poem.

[thaleeyaLuna]

Beautiful poem and very nicely written.
I've heard about Sappho but I never really knew her.
T'was really a painful feeling that those works you did were lost and have never been recognized.

I just noticed a misspelling on the 1st stanza, 5th line: 'threw your fingers'.
But, over all, the poem is great. :)

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for reading and reviewing this writing. Thank you so much for pointing out the wrong word usage. I want to find all these errors before doing my book. I am glad you thought the poem is beautiful.

[thaleeyaLuna]

You're welcome! Thanks for inviting me to read. :)

[Nisreen]

History is written by the winners
and winners are just gruesome

hardly own up to any form of art

i really enjoyed reading this piece

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for reading and reviewing this writing. As a warrior poet, I feel it is my responsibility right the wrongs done in the past and present by writing about the injustice. I am glad you enjoyed it.

[H]

This is lovely, defininately a worthy summary of the frustration of Sappho's lost works. Much lile the library in Alexandria- so many ideas lost to time. Thank you for the recommendation to this one :)

[H.L. Cerveise]

When I saw your profile, I thought you might like this poem. I agree so much was lost in the library at Alexandria, and it set back mankind in many ways.

[Nessly]

Beautiful words, commemorative of a poet nearly lost.

[H.L. Cerveise]

Thank you for your kind words.

[Nessly]

You're welcome! :)

[William Liston]

This is a beautiful tribute to one of your favorite poets, and I can relate to the disappointment in this. I like to read the works of ancient philosphers and sometimes it makes me mad when I find out that a certain person's works have been lost with time.

The same thing happened to Paul Laurence Dunbar's essays. They were published in literary magazines that no longer exist, and as a result, they became lost over time. Thanks for introducing me to this poet.