O Venus, beauty of the skies,
To whom a thousand temples rise,
Gaily false in gentle smiles,
Full of love-perplexing wiles;
O goddess, from my heart remove
The wasting cares and pains of love.
If ever thou hast kindly heard
A song in soft distress preferred,
Propitious to my tuneful vow,
A gentle goddess, hear me now.
Descend, thou bright immortal guest,
In all thy radiant charms confessed.
Celestial visitant, once more
Thy needful presence I implore.
In pity come, and ease my grief,
Bring my distempered soul relief,
Favour thy suppliant’s hidden fires,
And give me all my heart desires.
—Sappho
Zephyrus by Stellamara
I met Sonja (Stellamara) almost twenty years ago. She worked in a restaurant near my office by Jack London Square in Oakland. We got to talking one day and she told me she made music, that she was a percussionist, doing “world” music, and she also sang. She was very sweet. I was working on music in a room full of synthesizers that resembled Dr. Frankenstein’s lab every waking moment when not “working.” We agreed to exchange cds, although I shuddered at the thought of “world” music. I took her a cd the next day (most if not all of Flight of the Atom Bee) & she gave me hers. I took it home, praying, like we do for our friends, that it was at least okay. I put it on. The music started & I thought “not bad.”
And then she began to sing and my mind was blown.
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