Aspasia

"I'm not the same man"

says he;
yet every thing looks to be
more of the same

to me.

Men gather

news stand formal,

construction sites;
 full of yellow jackets

woman everywhere,
grocery cart beautiful.

"But I am not the same woman"

says she
yet every thing looks to be,
more in the same to me.

I am strangely relieved

by the heartbreak 

of it all.

Reviews

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

"Aspasia", mistress of Pericles, homage to her wit and cleverness in an age when women were not valued for those attributes- are they still not?.."grocery cart beautiful"-resonant. Such original and effective form with quotes of a man and a woman presenting quite opposite reactions to the same situation, dividing the poem in two as it were. Thought-provoking, resonant, relevant powerful. Kudos!

[Corset]

Thank you Annette.

[h d e rushin]

While I was in the navy and out at sea, I use to see whales breach the ocean..It really didn't matter what type of whale it was, since all whales must breach..What I mean is that the details of such benign events are for the historians eye, not the casual one. Just as some men see blue whales, others see grey's/ Just as some women look at the buts of men, men look at the breast of women. I tend to think that that communion along those terms, join the strangeness of both to the union of the universe..

It's a relief that whales are still here....as is heartbreak, meanness, homophobia, racism, slaughter, hunger, misogyny and the internal discipline to correct it all....You're still my hero...dana

[Corset]

And you are still my hero, our beloved Corporal Klinger, waiting to be saved from the pits of hell and bad fabric. If you change let it be your undies only...as you have saved me from the atrocities of ...though it continues as always , you give me ...courage.

[Great Aunt Astri]

Life events change people, but the good old world carries on much the same. When hurt, I think she is right in saying "I am strangely relieved by the heartbreak of it all". Perhaps once she has felt her emotion, she can then let it all go. Your clever poem of a few words, says a tremendous amount. Well written.

[Corset]

[Corset]

Thank you Great Aunt Astri

[Einstein Noodle]

oh my goodness ..what an incredible place your poem brings me to ..my face went a little numb and i held my breath in with my hands so the shock waves wouldn't knock me down .. and the images are so oblique, grasping mists and street wise ethereal .. i have no explanation for feeling that way other than an incredible read for me...I sent you mail about friends ..i will subscribe to your pages and intend to read more .. i love everything about this poem .. form, rhythm rhyme theme ...everything
E
ps "grocery cart beautiful" is brilliant says i! great stuff!

[Corset]

Thank you Einstein Noodle

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Even as adults we continue to grow and change, we see things differently as our lives go on.

Brilliant writing..

[Corset]

I don't want to ever be an adult, adultery will get you stoned in certain countries and eras, lol..and not in a good way :p hey you. Thanks for stopping in,,is not...

[Ken Simm.]

That last stanza is a stunner in a whole work of stunners. Going through time. The woman that caused it all brought into our world. Is she disappointed?

[Corset]

I wonder that too Ken, I think she'd be proud of the women who still refuse to let ridicule or rejection stop them from doing something important , but I think she'd be heartbroken to know that its all very much the same sad world it's always been.

[Corset]

http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/htmlver/characters/f_aspasia.html

[Jon Roggie]

Realization of past and present. Each only a memory.

[Corset]

you are so correct my friend, so right you are.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

love the last stanza...reminds me, this, of running into my ex at Krogers...we are different now, but in ways the same as what made us not work the first time...even with the flame still evident.

[Corset]

lol, yeah :< if I ran into my ex at Kroger's I would probably need to call the police. Thank you for your words Jacob, and very apropos. This is more about 440 bc being very much the same in so many ways as 2017... at least for women. The human condition the stage and props are different but the attitude and atmosphere of judgement and independence is still very much prominent in society, though we are very different animals now than we were then, the struggle remains the same.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i hear ya...and yet, the ex i ran into is the only of three i am still very close to...was just the wrong time for her back then.
people always ask me if i am lonely being single...i say...alone yes, lonely, no....good friends and doing the things i love...teaching, writing, tennis, trivia..how can i feel lonely?

your poetry always allows me a journey, regardless of the inspiration...
j.

[Corset]

but what about now J. ? This reminds me of a musical I recently watched with Emma Stone I think called "La La Land" If you enjoy musicals I recommend it :D