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dollidot · 2 months

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I long for you most

in my desolate state

reality

jaded lust

softened anger

a ronin

loves not for

he has not a heart

nor a head

only his blade

met with necks

silken textiles

golden sparrows

a game of

attempted murder

we fall again

blue

brown

irises clash

magical forest creature

heartless lone ghost

will you eat my heart

or leave it?

I'd let you

if you'd look at me

pulchritudinous

stone face

I love

not the man

you appear as

but the woman

you harbor

as if she's a sin

demon

ronin

mine

I long for you alone

golden textiles

blackened teeth.

#blue eye samurai #the structure kinda sucks but i like it anyway #mizu blue eye samurai #akemi blue eye samurai #bes mizu #bes #bes akemi #akemi x mizu #mizemi realness #poetry #this has been a post #i love these sapphics #i am the second coming of sappho

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timetravellingkitty · 1 year

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SAPPHIC ARTISTS TO LISTEN TO

(instead of writing your 69th essay about how Taylor Swift is a closet lesbian)

Starting off with my holy trinity:

Rina Sawayama (she/her, bi/pan): if you follow me you're probably aware of what a huge Rina fan I am. Lots of pop and rock, with a chunk of her earlier songs being R&B. Her debut album SAWAYAMA (my favourite album of all time!!) was her major breakthrough moment as it received critical acclaim and her sophomore album Hold the Girl made her the highest charting Japanese artist in the history of the UK. Known for her musical versatility, she made her acting debut in John Wick 4. I recommend: Cherry, Frankenstein and Bad Friend

Janelle Monáe (she/they, bi/pan): pop, funk, neo-soul and psychedelic. They have an entire series of concept albums about an android named Cindy Mayweather (her ALTER EGO?!) as she commits the crime of falling in love with a human. Lots of social commentary. Her album Dirty Computer comes along with a narrative film and a book taking place in its world. She's starred in movies like Antebellum, Glass Onion and Moonlight. I recommend: Electric Lady, Django Jane and Pynk

Raveena Aurora (she/her, bi): Experimental pop, R&B and soul. Her second album Asha's Awakening is a concept album following the journey of Asha, a Punjabi space princess, as it explores Aurora's South Asian identity and past relationships. Such a beautiful and soft voice to die for. I recommend: Headaches, If Only and Kathy Left 4 Kathmandu

Moving onto some other artists I like:

Boygenius: a band comprising of three sapphic women- Phoebe Bridgers (indie darling™), Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker (the first two are bi while the third is a lesbian). Indie, folk and alternative rock. Very melancholic. I urge you to check out their individual projects too (especially Phoebe's, I love her Punisher album). I recommend: Emily I'm Sorry, Satanist and True Blue

Kelela (she/her, queer): R&G, electronic and alternative R&B. Her debut EP Hallucinogen covers the beginning, middle and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her second album Raven showcases Black futuristic art, which I fuck with. I recommend: Contact, The High and Bluff

Zolita (she/her, lesbian): dark-pop, R&B and electropop. She incorporates witchcraft into her music and mvs. She literally has an EP called Sappho what more could you want? I recommend: Holy, Ashley (the sapphic Speak Now) and Bedspell

Victoria Monét (she/her, bi): pop and R&B. She's written songs for artists like Ariana Grande (7 Rings) and Chloe x Halle (Do It). Go stream her Jaguar EP you will thank me later. I recommend: Touch Me (erotic sapphic song), Cupid and Love U Better

And finally some honourable mentions (can't make this post too long now can I): mxmtoon, Michelle Zauner, Arooj Aftab, Sir Babygirl, Dodie, Chloe Moriondo, Lauren Jauregui, Baby Queen, Sara and Teagan, The Butchies, Sofya Wang and Melissa Etheridge

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dionysus-complex · 3 months

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hello! I read you're "predominantly a Romanist" so I'm not really sure if you can help me but I have this question bugging me for weeks and I thought some clarity from people more expert than me could probably be insightful, so here's the tea: many generations of Italian high schoolers have been taught that Sappho was the headmaster of some sort of college (the term used in lit history books is "thiasus", but I'm 99% sure this is some wild anachronism, and that if such institution even existed it was certainly not called that); according to Ye Olde Books, this thiasus was some sort of bon ton academy to prep young girls for womanhood and marriage, and Sappho's homoerotic poetry must be therefore viewed through this "socratic" lens. Herein lies the issue, that while there seems to be no ancient evidence to prove or disprove this fact, every Italian schoolbook I've stumbled upon either in high school or university never provided a source for this (they all mention the Souda which is problematic in itself, but even there it's only said that her pupils were so and so and so, not that she was actually the head of any formal institution). Plus, looking over on wikipedia, the Italian one takes the thiasus claim at face value without even giving a source (again), while the English wikipedia goes at a length to explain that this idea has no historical grounds and it's just a xix century suggestion. I've even stumbled upon this Maximus Tyrius rhetorician from the second century and he quotes Sappho's views on love and the women she loved, without explicitly saying they were her pupils or part of an academic circle.

So, here's my question: is this concept actually still taught in the Anglo world, and is there any substantial evidence for it? Is it just a weird little straightwashing lie that is still taught in my home country to try and justify any homoerotic reading of the Lesbian, or is there possibly any truth in it?

Sorry for the long ask but I'm going kinda insane here, and i thought one thing i could do is hear from some non Italians cause it's clear to me that all Italian texts are more or less a copypaste of each other on this subject; if you could please tell me anything about this I'd be so thankful, thanks a lot xoxo

Hello! It's been a minute since I've been seriously engaged with Sappho scholarship, but this is something I am familiar with.

The short answer is, no, as far as I know there is no real ancient evidence for it and the concept has generally been regarded as debunked in English-language scholarship since the 90s. The oldest source we have for the concept is the 10th c. CE Souda, which (as you mention) is deeply problematic for a variety of reasons, and it seems probable that the idea of Sappho's thiasos originates with one of the many Greek comedies about Sappho (Sappho was something of a stock character in Greek comedy, with the joke typically being her excessive (hetero-)sexuality rather than homosexuality). The idea seems to have been picked up by 19th century German scholars, and the argument for it relies on the testimony in the Souda along with apparent parallels between Sappho's expression of homoerotic desire and the homoerotic language between women and girls in Alcman's parthenaia, which do have a context of chorus trainer/trainee relationships. However, there is probably no good reason to assume that Alcman/Sappho parallels make for a strong argument considering that the texts come from entirely different city-states and social contexts. I do know that Renate Schlesier has argued for a much less heteronormative and IMO more plausible version of the thiasos idea, which is essentially that the circle of women mentioned in Sappho's poetry is not any kind of "academy to prepare (aristocratic) young women for marriage" but a circle of enslaved sex workers/courtesans (hetairai). Schlesier cites the fact that the female personal names mentioned in Sappho's poetry are all names that would typically be associated with enslaved women and hetairai, at least prior to the Hellenistic period, and considering that the symposium was probably the main venue for the performance of erotic lyric in antiquity this seems to make a good deal of sense.

I won't recommend the article that essentially debunked the thiasos idea on account of its author being a truly awful person for unrelated reasons, but I would recommend this excellent Eidolon piece on "Re-Queering Sappho" as well as Melissa Mueller's 2021 chapter "Sappho and Sexuality" in The Cambridge Companion to Sappho (link here, but probably requires a library subscription) which covers the history of the idea very well and presents a compelling reworking of the idea of Sappho's circle in a way that embraces rather than resists the queerness of Sappho's poetry.

#sappho #asks

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aspoonofsugar · 1 year

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fun fact in the original version of snow white tale she was poisoned by her actual mother not step mother (so jacques is a gender swap to her snow whites mom)in the original cinderella stor was a greek slave girl named Rhodopis Charaxus (Χάραξος) of Mytilene, brother of Sappho of lesbors the poet ( whose works were painted on terra cotta pottery shards) referenced with jaunes sister and in law. ) and in some stories he married her

Hi!

Tbh I think there is too much fuss on the idea of "original fairy tales" in the RWBY fandom... just as much as there is too much fuss on Disney fairy tales :''')

In short, I think RWBY makes use of fairy tales in their most iconic versions without letting the disney movies influence the writing too much. For example, of the 4 MCs only Weiss and Blake's story has been adapted successfully by Disney, and even in their case they make full use of other versions of their fairy tales. What I am trying to say is that RWBY is not trying to adapt a specific version of a fairy tale, but to use fairy tales as motifs and metaphors of their characters' arcs.

So, when it comes to Weiss I think they are clearly going with the Grimms' version of Snowhite. It is really no surprise as it is very famous and the one used in the Disney adaptation. Differently from the Disney fairy tale, though, they are going with the original 3 deaths of the fairy tale. Still, they are making use of some very clear Disney imagery, like the focus on the forest animals and on singing, which is a Disney invention.

When it comes to Jacques specifically, he is Weiss's biological father, but focus is put on how he married into the family:

Weiss: I have done nothing but fight to uphold the honor of my family name, a name that you married into!

Symbolically, he is not a real Schnee to the point he doesn't even share his semblance with the rest of the family. He has usurped the family name tricking Willow into marrying him and Nicholas into giving him the SDC. So, he fits the part of the "evil stepmom". All in all, though, there is not much difference between a stepmom and a mom in fairy tales. The idea of a stepmom is honestly used to mask the fact fairy tales are actually talking about mothers and fathers. In Snowhite, for example, you can see the Evil Queen as the mother and the good natured, but weak minded Hunter as the father. They are archetypical characters that call back to the parents. This is because Snowhite is ultimately a coming of age story. It is about a child growing up and realizing she can't be like her mom forever (so the mirror stops showing the Queen and starts showing Snowhite), which brings some struggle and the need to redefine her own identity (the 3 deaths and resurrections), so that she can become her own person (a Queen). This is also Weiss's story in a nutshell.

As far as our Cinderella is concerned, it is instead clear RWBY is making use of several archetypes and symbols common to many versions of the story. There is a Stepmom, two Stepsisters, a Prince, a Fairy Godmother and Slippers. These elements are present both in Perrault and the Grimms' versions of the tale.

In general, I am sorry, but I don't think Jaune and Cinder's relationship is meant to be seen as romantic. Jaune and Ruby are set up as the 2 people, who will eventually help Cinder out. However, Ruby is the one presented as the Prince (in a platonic sense):

Cinder and Ruby fight the night of the Dance, which is a call back to Cinder dancing with the Prince. This means Ruby is Cinder's Prince. She is the one who must save Cinder with her eyes and I wouldn't be susprised if this happens on the top of Beacon Tower. After all, Ruby and Cinder face each other twice in that setting. The first time, it is the night of the dance, the second the night of the Fall of Beacon. These 2 face offs represent 2 dances, so we still lack a third final one as per the Grimms' fairy tales... I would not be surprised if this happens in the finale.

Jaune is instead set up to have a role when it comes to helping Cinder become a true Maiden. Why? Because this is Pyrrha's legacy:

Pyrrha: Do you believe in destiny?

Jaune is meant to inherit Pyrrha's legacy and to succeed where she failed, which is to convey the meaning of being a true Maiden to Cinder. Very fitting for a character whose allusion is called the Maide of Orleans.

This reading also fit with RWBY playing with gender role. Ultimately, the young child is meant to be the Prince who saves Cinderella (again not in a romantic sense), while Jaune is meant to be the Maiden at Heart who inspires Cinder into becoming the true Maiden of Choice. If you want, you can headcanon Jaune may become a new version of the fairy that makes sure Cinderella can dance and become a Queen. Still, it is too soon to say.

Thank you for the ask!

#rwby #weiss schnee #cinder fall #asksfullofsugar #megashadowdragon

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multitaskingwhore · 2 months

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more sappho, from my archives

to wrap up the sappho stuff i've made previously, here's some poems & a picmix from a few months ago.

the first poem is a continuation of a fragment that really spoke to me,

I don't believe this to be Anne Carson's translation, but I can't recall who's it is ! sorry :(

this is my handwritten version, if you can't read it tho here is a text ver.

For this poem I didn't try to put myself in Sappho's shoes but rather just related what I believed her sentiments to be to something i could write about. But in specific, the poem reminded me of Juri and Shiori of Revolutionary Girl Utena and the sort of longing, coveting, jealousy and repression of emotions... but I thought the plot of the poem was similar to the Juri and Shiori backstory.

Now for the second poem/picmix I made a sort of personal response to Sappho's only completed poem calling out to Aphrodite:

Hymn to Aphrodite

Deathless Aphrodite of the spangled mind child of Zeus, who twists lures, I beg you do not break with hard pains O lady, my heart!

but come here if ever before you caught my voice far off and listening left your father's golden house and came,

yoking your car. And fine birds brought you quick sparrows over the black earth whipping their wings down the sky through midair---

they arrived. But you, O blessed one, smiled in your deathless face and asked what (now again) I have suffered and why (now again) I am calling out

and what I want to happen most of all in my crazy heart. Whom should I persuade (now again) to lead you back into her love? Who, O Sappho, is wronging you?

For if she flies, soon she will pursue. If she refuses gifts, rather she will give them. If she does not love, soon she will love even unwilling

Come to me now: loose me from hard care and all my heart longs to accomplish, accomplish. You be my ally.

Anne Carson translation

Aphrodite, I don't know her well, but Sappho, she feels more appropriate to call upon... the people's princess of lesbians & queer women in a way.

#sappho #anne carson #picmix #poetry #rgu #revolutionary girl utena #juri arisugawa #shiori takatsuki #lesbianism #sapphic

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anotherescsite · 5 months

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HEROES: Junior ESC 2023

Personally, Junior Eurovision is an abomination that creeps me out and make my poor ears bleed. That said there are songs in the Senior Eurovision that do that also (yes - I'm looking at Iru who consequentially came from the Juniors and won with Candy).

While there are entries that are travesties and screechy, there is sometimes quality as well. Needlessly you watch and sometimes a song sticks and you have it on your playlist: I still listen to 'Shut up' from Belgium and Antes Muerta Que Sencillas from Spain. And of course what seems great in a film could be a squealing disaster on the night.

So let's see what we have this year:

ALBANIA: Viola Gjyzeli - Bota Ime

Interesting entry from Albania that could be their best entry ever or a crashing mess. It has potential depending on the staging and Viola's vocal. The film is pleasant without going overboard with colourful lighting on trees.

ARMENIA: Yan Girls - Do it my way

The Armenian entry is a pack of girls with a modern hard hitting entry. This could do well; choreography is ready, the outfits will be flashy and it will be attractive to the children voting. May be a bit repetitive.

ESTONIA: Arhanna - Hoiame Kokku

This is the first Estonian song in the Juniors. The film says that it's about friendship, but hidden within is maybe something more Sappho-ic. The song does not sound interesting or memorable for me.

FRANCE: Zoé Clausure - Coeur

Defending champ nation has an interesting peppy entry that will present well, but not win. I think they will place her behind a piano for some of it and I expect there will be a dancer of some sort.

GEORGIA: Anastasia and Ranina - Over the sky

Now this could be interesting. There are three of them and while it is crediting Anastasia as the lead, the other two put in the work too. The harmonies are very nice and the song is a gentle lullaby of a song. The video is more a loopy trip than a film.

GERMANY: Fia - Ohne Worte

I read Fia's story on the Juniors website and I am a little emotional half way through the song. It was unexpected. I don't know if it will do well, but I was engaged by seeing Fia and her sister, and the signing makes sense. I do hope it does better than expected.

IRELAND: Jessica McKean - Aisling

Gaelic always seems to give a song some whimsy and that's were this has gone. Children will not appreciate the beauty of this ballad. I'm sure that it will be presented nicely on the stage. I'm not sure if last year's Irish entrant will also be appearing, but it worked.

ITALY: Melissa and Ranya - Un Mondo Giusto

I don't know about this one. I'm not getting it. One of them has a better voice than the other and there are points where I expect there will be Italian yelling vocals which I'm not a fan of.

MALTA: Yulan - Stronger

This song is interesting as this could be a major moment of the night or a let down. Yulan seems like someone who can perform and if she can pull it off could go well for them.

NETHERLANDS: Sep & Jasmijn - Holding On To You

Another modern number with synth elements. I guess it will come down to chemistry on stage, if they can sing and dance, but I like it. I think it has good lyrics and a good beat.

NORTH MACEDONIA: Tamara Grujeska - Kaži Mi, Kaži Mi Koj

The introduction goes for almost 30 seconds and I was wondering if she would begin singing at all. For me, it is too much moan-singing and because of that I don't like it. Don't think it will finish highly.

POLAND: Maja Krzyżewska - I Just Need A Friend

Poland has had a good run lately. This could do well depending on styling, performance and choreography etc. Not sure if it will with though.

PORTUGAL: Júlia Machado - Where I Belong

A very quiet song, but maybe a very personal song. It has no sparkle to make it stand out so I don't expect a high place for this one.

SPAIN: Sandra Valero - Loviu

Hmm. It's an upbeat number which has the kind of feeling you expect from a little girl singing. Her voice could be annoying if she sings higher. Simple enough that it could score well.

UKRAINE: Anastasia Dymyd - Kvitka

A very young girl singing an age appropriate song. It's a bit repetitive and simple but it's okay to listen to.

UNITED KINGDOM: STAND UNIQU3 - Back To Life

This one will do well. There is a lot of space for choreography and vocals. The sound of the song is different to everything else sounding almost like a 1930s swing number.

Who will win is anyone's guess. I'd maybe put my money behind Malta, Armenia or Georgia and the UK as a dark horse. I may be completely wrong.

#junior esc #eurovision #2023 #nice #france #Heroes

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bookromancy · 1 year

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My melancholy sings an ode to heartbreaks,

Oh, how easy it is to disappear in the soft dusk of day,

a senseless escapism in the colours of the sky.

The rustle of feathers,

as Icarus falls in love.

At the end of the story there was a cliff and a poet.

Her song was over and history was cruel.

I can’t help but wonder if I’ll end that way,

with the wind in my hair and my endless love raging against the tides,

my flaxen haired lover weeping as she holds my spiritless body.

Am I a tragedy written by a Greek poet gifted to a god?

Whispered from one lover to another as they embrace,

hidden from seeing eyes.

Am I a flower weeping the loss of life on a bloodied ground?

Or am I a string of yarn to lead you back.

thousands of years between here and there.

The lament of Sappho, Andy Hearth.

Since my first poetry book, Morning Afters, is coming out tomorrow on kindle, I wanted to share a poem from my second book, The lament of Sappho, that I am currently working on. Thank you for supporting me!

#dark academia #poetrybyhearth #poets on tumblr #wlw poetry #love quotes #writeblr #light academia #romantic academia #lesbian poetry #greek myth poetry #greek mythology #helenismos #hellenic devotion #apollo devotee #lgbt poetry #new poets on tumblr #young poets #poetsandwriters #new poets society

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kazumiwrites-originalfics · 11 months

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Not a Phase

SUMMARY: My sexuality won’t change to fit your ideals. WORD COUNT: ~800

WARNINGS: Internalized homophobia, homophobia, more internalized homophobia, etc

A/N: Is this about my pansexuality? Yes. Is this how I came out to my language arts teacher and like a couple of her classes (because she loved it so much that she asked if she could share it out to the class on Google Classroom as one of the best pieces of writing that quarter)? Yes. Even six months later this still hits hard I-

they’re so pretty (my first thought) but it’s not love (my second thought) …right?

not talking about guys (though they are pretty too) i’m talking about girls (not like you didn’t expect it)

but it’s not as if it’s real

or that’s what i thought.

never thought i’d feel this way; wouldn’t have ever believed i’d be gay.

if you asked a younger version of me, she’d stare up, blinking, not understanding: what does that even mean?

never even knew what it meant, not until fifth grade; never even knew a person who was “that way,” not until sixth.

it wasn’t until the end of seventh grade that i figured it out; that the mere presence of a girl could make my heart race without doubt.

i still remember the day when my eyes were wide open, realizing that these weren’t just some random thoughts; that they weren’t

normal.

that most people didn’t think girls were pretty; maybe a guy would. (my gender is a mess; that’s a different story)

it was as if all the years of ignoring it, of hoping it would go away, of denying it, (whether intentionally or not) didn’t work

like sappho and her poems was my queer awakening

aphrodite, goddess of love: her affections pulled me to a girl, not only guys.

do i really even like them? analyzing every bit to try to see what was so special about them, about girls.

(was there anything special?) (why did i feel this way?) (am i broken?) (why don’t i only like guys?)

even after i realized that my feelings were real, i still didn’t believe myself.

maybe there was a mistake, an error.

something wrong deep inside of me.

am i a joke? is this a game? why am i like this?

the confusion in me as i research seeing the multitude of names for different types of love finally making me realize and even accept the fact

that

i don’t care who i fall in love with i don’t care about what gender they are a guy, a girl, neither, or any—

that the heart wants what the heart wants, and it only depends on personality, not the looks.

but then again, i feel like i never fit into one place never gay enough, never straight enough never fully accepted by either group

“you have to have it rough, and you have to choose a side.” “you can’t have both, you can only be gay or straight.”

even now, i worry that it’s just a phase that i’m just going through something that it’s just not real

that i’m faking it. that i’ve been pressured into thinking this way

the words people say don’t help; hurts even worse when it comes from someone i know, maybe even care about (a classmate) (a teacher) (a friend) (a crush) (a family member)

their opinions drag me down; a hurtful word, a downward glance, even a quiet noise of distaste can make my chest ache, my heart hurt, tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

even though i know (i’ve known for more than two years now), i just don’t get accepted by everyone, especially not the people who matter the most.

“it’s just a phase.” “you’re too young to know anything.” “you need to find a good husband.” the implications that a wife would not be accepted.

it’s really amazing to be queer, isn’t it? always happiness and rainbows.

no one talks about the shame, the fear, the hurt, from both yourself and others.

forced to be hidden in “the closet,” a shell, only showing a glimpse of my true self, of who i really am

but i just remind myself no one can drag me down. that a flag with pink, yellow, and blue shouldn’t make me want to hide.

and just because people want to hurt me doesn’t mean that i should just let them.

still, some days i feel bad ashamed pained

like i shouldn’t be gay, that it’s just plain wrong. falling prey to their sharp words; listening to it, accepting it as truth.

but on other days? i feel better prouder stronger and that’s a good thing to feel, to

know.

able to be confident in who you are without any regrets. tentatively stepping out of “the closet;” starting to tell others the truth. happiness as they accept, not caring if they don’t because i was born this way— and nothing anyone says will ever change that.

knowing deep inside you that you are who you are

—and accepting it—

is much more important than having someone else acknowledge it, accept it, be happy with it.

pride in who you are is the first and most important step to accepting yourself.

#kazumiwrites #pansexual #acceptance #lgbt #poem #tw homophobia #tw #queer #pan #internalized homophobia #tw internalized homophobia #i keep misspelling pansexual i should be ashamed of myself #i don't think i'll ever be able to write a poem as long as this #sexuality #not a phase #not just a phase

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pensiveabstraction · 1 year

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reading a heroes of olympus fic where among other changes, annabeth is sent to ogygia in place of leo, and this coward mf had calypso end up sayin she loved annabeth like a sister???

mf u do know bisexual ppl exist right, especially bisexual ancient greeks. ever heard of sappho, yk the one who loved women so much lesbians are named after where she lived.

i am begging u let calypso have a little tragic gay love for annabeth i promise its ok pal. let her feel bitter about percy leaving her bc of annabeth, until she comes to know annabeth, to love her, and she understands him. in the most heartbreaking way, she gets it now. let her cry the second she knows she's fallen for annabeth, because she knows what it is to love percy, and she knows through and through annabeth will go back for him, but calypso cannot help but ask her to stay through pouring tears anyway.

hey yk what they had it so annabeth convinced calypso to try leaving with her and it worked bc the magic keeping her there was lifted when percy asked the gods, why not let her have a happy lil throuple with annabeth and percy, i know this author's ass is not opposed to poly stuff, the main ship of the fic is poly.

#like???#bro cmon #now im all cowabummered #and maybe theres more to jt but the way they wrote it i rly dont see it being a lie calypso said to cope/save her pride a lik #*lil #cba to rewrite all'at #percy jackon and the olympians #annabeth percy jackson #annabeth #calypso #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #pjo fanfic #pjo fandom

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chacetic · 2 years

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lesbian flag simplification?

the 5-stripe and 7-stripe sunset flag versions are pretty when viewed on screens, but kinda awful irl due to low contrast between stripes. combined with a small sect of the community not liking how the pink stripes come from the Old Flag, I’ve made a simplified version that I think fixes these issues?

OLD FLAG:

these are pics of how the current flags often read really poorly (yes, i bought a flag that turned out like this and i’m salty

(that orange contrast literally is awful... this flag is the first AND second results on amazon)

(pink stripes are barely discernable from each other, even at a distance of ~2 feet away... imagine having this at pride being viewed from 30+ feet away... melds together... embarrassing tbh... again the top result for 7-stripe flag on amazon)

-

Current design takes the orange stipe from the sunset lesbian flag (pictured above) and the pink is from the 4-stripe flag designed by Lydia (pictured below)

...as the creator took the colors from a poem by Sappho and is not a problematic person, nor does this pink have any ties to the old 2010 lipstick flag.

-

The end result is simplified version of the already-popular sunset lesbian flag that fixes issues with visibility and readability with the 5-stripe and 7-stripe flags, as well as being easy for artists (such as bracelet makers, flag makers, etc) to reproduce the design with the materials they have on hand. Here it is again:

The low number of stripes finally makes it visible at a distance (if you were 20 feet away, the stripes are different enough that nothing blends together, like with the bi and pan and ace flags), or at a small resolution (like for custom discord pride emojis that display really tiny, you don’t have to squint to make out the differences.)

(As for me, I am a lesbian and do not gatekeep, (sorry if I don’t know the proper terminology but if you ID as lesbian then this flag is open for you to use, I don’t discriminate or whatever.)

(Also if u want to use this in icons or headers or whatever, go ahead!)

#lesbian #lesbian flag #WLW #gay flag #lesbian pride #pumpkin spice and strawberry milkshake flag #tangerine sorbet and watermelon jolly rancher flag

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ceaseless-watchers-special-girl · 1 month

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Not to obliterate any consistency my blog has but like. Can I talk about Catullus for a hot sec

No one who follows me is under any obligation to read this whatsoever. It's rambling I just have a lot of feelings ok

Catullus 64, man. This fucking poem. I fell in love with it literally before I even read it — I got part of it printed onto a fucking blanket so I can curl up underneath this poem and be all wrapped up in it.

Today, we read a section where he describes Bacchus coming to find Ariadne after she's been abandoned on Naxos. Catullus describes him as 'te quaerens, Ariadna' (seeking you, Ariadne). Now I could get into everything my Latin teacher said about how seeking is often used to mean love, the link it has to Sappho SAPPHO LOVE OF MY LIFE MARRY ME PLS but that's not what I've been thinking about for the entire day.

"You, Ariadne". Let's think about that for a second. Catullus isn't writing direct speech anymore, it's supposed to be the omniscient narrator talking. Who tf is talking to Ariadne here? Narrators are not supposed to talk to the characters they speak about.

But here, he does. He can't help himself. He calls out to Ariadne, he is overwhelmed by the sorrow that consumes her because Theseus has left her SON OF A BITCH THESEUS HOW COULD YOU FUCKING ROT IN HELL and Catullus can't stop himself from calling out to her, trying to tell her that someone is coming for her, that she is not being left to die. He is so moved by the plight he has written for her that he calls out to her as if she were there with him, as if he could console her.

Catullus is writing in the style of an epic. Narrators of epics only call out to heroes at moments of intense emotion. Wanna know the example I was given that absolutely crushed me? Patroclus. In the Iliad, Homer calls out to Patroclus during his final fight before his death. I know you bitches who've read the Song of Achilles find that devastating.

Just. Fucking. Authors so connected to their characters that they forget they're narrating for a second. They let their own voice slip into the narrative, a desperate cry to let the characters know they're not alone. To praise them, to console them, to say I know you and I love you and I am so, so sorry.

And I know Catullus didn't forget shit. I know he wrote that in on purpose. But fuck, it hits hard.

#i'm so fucking in love with ariadne. she breaks my heart. i'm so fucking in love with this poem too. why is catullus so good what the fuck #also every single time we are reminded of ariadne's pain at theseus leaving her (which is pretty fucking often)#my brain goes JUNO STEEL PETER NUREYEV. it's torture #catullus #classics #catullus 64 #ariadne

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keistalkin · 1 year

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Dear universe, cut me some slack, please. hear me out.

i have always stuck to my guns that i was queer. in the patriarchal, homophobic society i was born and raised in, they never believed me -- not when i have a daughter and had all my major relationships with cis/bi but male-expressing men.

the only reason that i didnt have a serious wlw relationship is that the women i fell for couldnt come through and fight for me. eventually, they preferred to stay hidden, staying mysteriously single or take up with clueless male partners.

i resented it deeply -- their choice. i thought it meant that i was not worthy. that i was not worth the social backlash of entering into a same-sex relationship. i thought maybe it was because i also got attracted only to female-expressing queer women. after all, in this country where trans men and women get the major share of vitriol, "femmes" like me had the option to disappear into normativity.

so in 2021 when i fell deeply and irretrievably for a what they call "soft butch" (I'd rather say androgynous but more people use the former), i was confused and a bit terrified. it was the first time for me to feel strongly for a "butch" type, though many of that type have pursued me before. i was even a bit repelled upon seeing her for the first time (pandemic forced us into an online-only interaction for a year) -- oh my! no way, i liked my feminine curves and kikay sapphos. but despite this, i only fell for her more deeply. her SOGIE paled in comparison to her inherent luminescence - her heart and soul were too beautiful to me. and i knew, though restrained and constrained, she was drawn to me too. however, as the months passed, it became more certain that i can only love her from afar. even if i was in loving poly relationships, she was in a loving and long-term mono relationship. the usual. the story of my life.

poly people are often envied for having the "freedom" to love more than one person. but, being minority, it stands to reason that we will fall for mono people. people who cannot be with us. people who cannot choose us. because they only got one choice. because they would rather choose that choice. why? coz they cannot imagine the idea of not "owning" their partners. not even if i would propose that i spend equal time with my partners. that my love for one does not diminish my love for another. that each of them is unique and beautiful and worthy of love. it is too much. just too much.

it used to be okay. i just nursed my wounds and bounced back, never mind scars that never healed. i could never blame them for not choosing me. but now, i am asking for a concession from the universe. is this really my lot? either grant me a fighting chance or take away this feeling please.

my rejection trauma rears its ugly head every time i am with her. i alternate between affection and affected disdain. i have blocked her in all channels except for two accounts that i cannot close due to work requirements. i cannot even bring myself to touch her, even in situations when social conventions allow it. i cannot look at her for more than a few seconds at a time. i try to hide away from her gaze because while i bask in those few seconds where her eyes search out mine, i have to look away in case i see pity or something else that i dont want to see. you see, she says she doesnt want to hurt me. this is one of the reasons why i love her. her kindness ensures that her love language is service. she doesnt want to do me a disservice. she doesnt want to be unfair to me and her partner. the irony is that mono people would tear their hair out in rage to hear this. but this is an attractive quality to polys. We always respect each of our partners and show our love and support to them equitably.

so what happens now, dear universe? several times, she and i have told each other we must stay away, must not express or show affection of any kind. i have tried not speaking or even glancing at her in shared spaces. i am now trying to block communication channels to stop my expressive drunken self from telling her that i miss her. but i know, i know for sure, that if and when she meets my eyes, i will fall for her all over again.

she knows she is breaking my heart. her beautiful, altruistic self hurts for me. i want to tell her i am okay, and yes i do tell her that when she asks. she wishes for my happiness. and yes, i do find happiness in other places, things, people. i dont feel jealous or resentful at all about her partner, who is expectedly as awesome as her (awesome attracts awesome, obviously). my partners do not feel jealous of her too. but, bless her mono heart, she cannot fully grasp these complexities of being poly...yet.

yet. yes yes yes. i hold on to the 'yet'. i must be mad. but what else can i do? i dont think i can unlove her. it would be like unbreathing a breath.

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duaescriptores · 1 year

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how exactly i write poetry

janis here, feeling a little tired but "into it" enough that i can write some stuff out. today i'm gonna try to explain how in the world i write poetry as a writing exercise. hit Read More to see my ideas!

my main concern when writing poetry is if i can tell what it means or not, as well as the way in which i can tell what it means. am i making direct statements? am i embellishing my language to ensure no one except me can comprehend it? a spectrum between these is what i strive for.

incomprehensibility is pretty nice though. more people should appreciate the beauty of a word that just looks nice, like "rarefied" or "decompiled." just as an epicist of classical greece or rome would do, i end up coming back to stock epithets.

my main writing tool influences my work pretty heavily as well, of course. it's gnu emacs (which i recommend highly for any writer who dares try to navigate it), where the default font is a stately monospace. i try to align my lines in ways that i find pleasing. a while back i cascaded some lines as a pyramid...well, not a pyramid. it's more that i like to think of that as a group of lines shrinking at a rate of one character per second as the poem progresses. less and less space. a near-perfectly-aligned repetitive structure, anaphora highlighted by the courier new, reimagines the claustrophobia of something like beware: do not read this poem in my eyes, an unchanging room, the poem restricting the reader's space and thus their lateral motion. feels like working on a digital typewriter, roughly matching line lengths to continue lineages of typography otherwise lost when everyone can typeset at will in something like word, indesign, or quark.

finally, i value models unfamiliar to myself and my ability to play off of them. i'm of the belief that fragmentation is a productive process that creates new wholes. in other words, when you read a fragment of sappho, you create your own interpretation and, when taking inspiration from it, you make your own thing. you split the souls of writers before you whose work was inevitably lost across your lines, enjambing archaic concepts. it's nice to know a little too little, and to free-associate what little you do know. i think in fragments, and i'd recommend thinking in fragments to those who don't.