One-minute reading/video of a poem written by Mary Tighe (1772-1810), an Anglo-Irish poet known mainly for her long poem, Psyche, which retells the Pysche/Cupid myth. I like the modern tone of this poem.
Short reading/video of a poem about Lesbia, with whom the poet Catullus was in love and about/to whom he wrote poems. Here real name may have been Clodia, and she was apparently both learned and beautiful and wrote a satire of Caesar. Aldington alludes to the gods Hermes (Greek), Thoth (Egyptian), and Bel (Mesopotamian), as well as to a Renaissance philosopher, Pico Della Mirandola, who wrote a book of 90 theses, which the Catholic church banned.
A mellow love song featuring Roger Illsley (singing; guitar) and Hans Ostrom (thumping on the Chickering piano), and a video by Roger set in lovely Santa Rosa, California. Roger and I wrote the lyrics.
40 second video/recording of a poem by the renowned Syrian poet. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md7beFPm01I Translated by Lena Jayyusi, Sharif Elmusa, Jack Collum, from On Entering the Sea: The Erotic and Other Poetry of Nizar Qabbani, Interlink Books 1996 (buy this book!). Images from public domain sources. Video clips from Pixabay, Moshe Harosh, Andre Mouton, Matvey Doomchev, and Free Footage, by permission, and thank you. Recording is mine. Qabbani: 1923-1998, a renowned Syrian poet, writer, and publisher. He was born and grew up in Damascus. Later he lived in Geneva, Paris, and London, where he died. His numerous books include The Lover's Dictionary; To Beirut the Feminine, With My Love; Poems Inciting Anger; and Alphabet of Jasmine.