I asked myself, what…  by Nicholas Ingalls
 
Walking down the road, a silent stroll in
The sharp morning air, a sparkle catches
My immediate attention. Spinning
My eyes in the direction, wanting to
Know the source of the sparkle, the shimmer.
It was nothing short of a goddess. A
Woman, easily identifiable,
As Aphrodite. The goddess of love,
the goddess of beauty. She is perfect.
My heart now beats, thriving on a dream, my
Most recent hopes and thoughts, she is now all
I desire and want. I dream of walking
Out on that think limb, reaching out with words,
Words that would all be empty, if not to
Me, surely to a goddess, meaningless
And impure, words are useless and boring.
Even in my thoughts, there is no way to
Formulate a word, create a sense,
To describe the feeling now being sensed.
I think of my own life, what I do, who
I am, and who I am not and the
Person I will never and can never
Be. I now turn further inward on
Myself. I ask myself, what, Nick, can you
Give one who has everything? What can you
Offer to Aphrodite? What do you
Have that she does not, what do you have that
You can sacrifice, an offering to
An angel of the sky, even yourself,
She would take each last aspect of you.

[I asked myself / What, Sappho, can...]

By Sappho Sappho
 
I asked myself
What, Sappho, can
you give one who
has everything,
like Aphrodite?