This is inspiring. Like the phoenix you will rise from the ashes. More resilient experience and wise. Love that stanza

How does that quote go? “To thy own self be true”? From Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, I believe. As I was reading your poem Sappho, I thought, who else could we be, but ourselves. We may conform to social norm, but this would still be our choice to do so, still ourself, no one else. I think it is sometimes very hard to buck the system, to do the right thing. Someone or something may guide your thinking and or actions, but it is still you, yourself who decides to do this. In reading your poem, I arrived at Hamlet and thought, who else could I be but myself. And then I thought, even rising from the ashes has consequences and responsibilities. I think perhaps another question might be, are we willing to own up to those responsibilities and consequences?

I enjoyed reading your poem Sappho, it gave me a lot to consider. And it also made me appreciate who I am and want to be. Thank you for sharing.

Curt

Too few essay such thoughts, thank you for echoing truths we are forgetting 🌼

Being human is a poisoned chalice from which we all drink.It can give so much but demands a fee.
Your poem goes do a deeper problem about how mindlessly we wander through our precious days.
Well done Elke 🙏

Fun Fact: I burned my feet pretty bad in a fire when I was a kid. It sucked. LOL. It was just one of several shitty things I endured. Yet it did indeed make me a stronger person as I grew up. We choose our outlook. And that outlook finds the path.
Your write is an awesome testament to that. It could be printed and carried in one’s pocket before undertaking a particular task. This is a great example as to why we write. It builds our character, too.
Very inspiring write.

When the high waves of life try to drown you, you have only two options- to give up or to mobilize all your resources and swim! In the process of learning to swim and standing up for myself, I learned many great lessons about gratitude, forgiveness, and the importance of helping and loving one another.
Thank you so much for sharing a glimpse of your personal experience, and of course for your kind comment, dear Her!

Very motivating. The world will kick your butt if you let it. Great ink.

Thank you so much for your kind and appreciative comment, dear Keith!

You are a fabulous writer Elke.
It’s always nice to fall into the cooling water.💚

It does take courage to go against the norm.
You don’t know what you’re made of until it turns messy.
But that feeling of getting burned is its own form of motivation.
To rise in spite of having the wind nocked out of you.
Righteous write!

Powerfully penned, Elke. Excellent write my friend very inspirational indeed. Appreciate you.

Damian

Strangely erotic this piece, at least for me.

Nice work Elke

Hahaha, dark romance, freaking awesome

Well damn! I wasn’t expecting that ending!
(The moon was bad ass that night, wasn’t it!)
The rhymes bind the lines together really well. It was a very sweetly carried poem, until you devour your beau! LOL.
Awesome read!

I feel that it would be worth it.

Darkly romantic just how I like it, hehe.

Passionately penned, Elke. What a lovely dark write with a touch of romance, nicely done my friend. Appreciate you.

Damian

Thank you so much, dear Keith! Your supporting and appreciative comments mean the world to me! XOXO

A forest of stepping stones on to the ornaments of beautiful life surrounded by the dark velvet of memories.

The dark velvet of memories… Thank you so much for your poetic comment, dear Adagio!

Your autumn melancholy is eloquent and flows unhindered, Sappho. If we, like the leaves, could let go we would be more free and happier.. I like to think, anyway. “Until death embraces you again”, that line evokes a strange though peaceful reaction within me. All things return to their original state, which I guess in the case of living things is nonexistence. Only my take on things. A joy to read and very thought provoking piece.

Clay

Just beautiful…🙏

I like the idea of embracing shadows, not everything needs to be terrifying.
Nature shows us how to accept change gracefully.
Wonderful write.

Yes, autumn is a wonderful season, not only because of the cooler temperatures. It shows us that every stage of life has its own beauty. And I think it gives us hope. Not only the seasons but all of life follows a cyclic structure of birth, growing, riping, death and rebirth. Maybe human life, too. Thank you so much for your awesome comment, deer Keith!

An especially brilliant line: “…Until death embraces you again.”

Beautifully penned, Elke. Such an amazing write my friend. Appreciate you.

Damian

Autumn is the best season. Besides the beauty of it, it’s also about reflection and preparation. It’s the kindest season, too.
As per your usual, this is a strong write, with great details to capture the readers interest.
Many writers say that they write for themselves. That is only partially true. We also write/post to be seen somewhat. And we describe what we see, feel, etc. You write like a leader. A gentleness in your guidance through your poetry.

Autumn, when color is the harbinger of death and the bleakness of Winter. I think it is true, you don’t really appreciate living until you have seen death. Most people see Autumn as a cyclic event, but this is not true. It’s more the contradiction of all life in which death is a fundamental element within it, and until it becomes dominant over life. And ironically, we humans are the only life form on the planet that contemplates our lives and our deaths. We are amazing creatures and should not waste one precious second of our lives thinking about our inner lives when the whole world stands before us and we have the responsibility to make it better for the next generation.

Thank you Sappho, for your amazing poem.
-Curt

We all reach for the sky only to be brought back down to the ground. Wonderful ink.

So eloquent and delicate with your language here. Like a leaf feathering to the ground.

Chère S.,
By now you may remember that I am a great fan of your work.
There are a hundred different ways to actually do something to minimise further damage. And there are a hundred ways to handle it in an artistic way. There have been moments where those tipped the balance.

And every little bit helps. Of that I am sure.
I agree, what’s been done was done. But no-return? We’ll have to wait and see.
Love this write a lot.
Please go on writing these poems, dear neighbour!

Kind regards, Gus
Kind regards, Gus

Beautifully penned, Elke. With such a powerful message my friend. Excellent write! Appreciate you.

Damian

Thank you very much for your kind and meaningful comment, Tim!

This is a wonderful, poignant poem, Sappho. It’s tragic when you think about it. We humans are the only sentient, conscious life forms on our Mother, with the power to give or take life, both in the small sense and in the larger sense – extinction. Your poem is important because it tells the truth about our impending doom, unless, UNLESS we consciously stop creating the means for our own extinction. It’s ironic, life on the planet will most likely continue and even flourish when humans are gone. After all that meteor wiped out almost all life forms 65 million years ago, but in the absence of dinosaurs and other predators, mammals, our ancestors began to appear and thrive. The problem with the 6th Great Extinction is that there is no guarantee conscious life will emerge again. Extinction: a major event on Earth, a minor event in the Universe.

Thanks for sharing your insightful poem.
-Curt

I’ve always admired your writes. Whether prose or “built” like this one, your talent is obvious.
(And, I read your bio. Even more reason to salute you as a strong person with immense talent).
I picked up on the rhyme scheme in this one easily, because you made it so fluid. Well crafted, Sappho.

Lovely sad/hopeful