A Sonnet to a Sappho, by ​Éamon Ó Caoineachán

Safo, by Miguel Carbonell Selva (Spain) c. 1880

A Sonnet to a Sappho

                                                                        She 
was leaning over the edge of the sea cliff                                          
her fearful eyes peering down to the rocky 
depths below darkly stroking her wavy hair                     
the twilight throes of some ill-fated despair 
seeking to hide herself–two tides pull within
I could tell by the swell of her breast beating 
breath she desired death to throw her willowy 
body over the sheer faced ledge to embrace
the blood veiled pillow of the billowy sea–                          
for I’ve seen that distraught look painted before.                     
She was unknotting and knotting tear-drop knots–
a crazy heartache she was caught in a shake         
her eyes choppy white breakers about to                   break . . .


​Éamon Ó Caoineachán

​Éamon Ó Caoineachán is a poet and freelance writer. He is originally from Co. Donegal in Ireland, but lives in Houston, Texas. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Crannóg, Irish Times, History Ireland, IrishCentral, Impartial Reporter and various poetry journals and magazines in the U.S. and Ireland. He is currently in the PhD in Arts research programme at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland.