Sappho of Lesbos, ‘That fellow...’

by Aaron Poochigian

That fellow strikes me as a god’s double,
Couched with you face to face, delighting
In your warm manner, your amiable
Talk and inviting

Laughter—the revelation flutters
My ventricles, my sternum and stomach.
The least glimpse, and my lost voice stutters,
Refuses to come back

Because my tongue is shattered. Gauzy
Flame runs radiating under
My skin; all that I see is hazy,
My ears all thunder.

Sweat comes quickly, and a shiver
Vibrates my frame. I am more sallow
Than grass and suffer such a fever
As death should follow.

But I must suffer further, worthless
As I am ...

Stung with Love is available for purchase at the Penguin Books website: http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780140455571,00.html
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