Lesbos- Poetry and Lesbian History

This is a statue of Sappho- A poet from Lesbos.  She is honored in the hilltown of Ayiassos which we visited today.  It seems especially appropriate to speak of poetry here in Greece.  Poetry is like a national pastime here.  The famous poet Homer is from this country. 1963 nobel laureate poet, Giorgios Seferis was also Greek. 
It seems especially appropriate here.  The island we are on is Lesbos.  It is known for it's poetry.  Sappho lived in the hilltown of Ayiassos which we visited for a day.  Sappho is an ancient poet who wrote about love between women long ago. These writings have given Lesbos it's association with female homosexuality.   During her era, women were being educated for the first time under a tolerant leader.  Girls would leave home to study together and it was during this time that she wrote her poetry.   However, love between same-sex companions was not necessarily as we tend to think of it in modern times. Everything seems hyper-sexualized these days, but it wasn't necessarily the case back then. Many have pointed to her as evidence of female homosexual love...or Lesbianism. Sappho was not necessarily a lesbian, but she is forever associated with the topic due to her poems. 

I've found that artists are often poets. Whether their poetry is visual or verbal, the heart of a poet can often be found in the soul of an artist.  

Poetry can be a sign of inspired thinking.  Many artists couple their artwork with writing.  I have sometimes worked this way...letting a journal entry or words inspire a piece of artwork. If you've never tried writing as a tool for inspiring your artwork, I encourage you to try journaling or waxing poetic and using it as inspiration for your art!

On this trip, a couple of special poets have found their way into my heart.  Connie Cuthbertson is one fantastic artist and poet who is a new friend.  She has been on a journey fighting cancer over the last few years, and the good news is that she is healthy!  She is fantastic and is currently on an extended solo trip around Greece. She inspires me, and I thought you might enjoy her lovely poem.  I love it and hope you do too!

To Dream ~ Poem

I go searching for peace 

at waters edge

like a moth to a flame
she draws me in

and I listen here

the ocean breeze moves through me
the waves pool around me as
I enter this rhythmic dance
here I am caught, mesmerized

and I wonder here

Within the waves my mind is freed

Sunlight shimmers its dazzling light

Receding tide carries me with her

to far off places of the mind

and I enter here

I raise a handful of this liquid light

it glistens now

through my fingers 

memories trickle down

and I imagine here

I wonder, will this water 

that now falls from my fingertips

make its way to far off shores

where only my mind can travel

My eyes lifted now

to the horizon of thought

this endless ever changing place

Where fantasies and memories flow

where times of past and days to come

keep tempo with the day at hand

and I explore me here

I visit often 
in this quiet place of mind

to contemplate, to meditate

breathe deeply, and to dream

 and I understand me here

When I look deep into the ocean

as I go searching 

for peace

at waters edge

I discover me here

Rebecca Zdybel

Artist/ Art Instructor

Myrtle Beach, SC