fifteen

Blaise doesn't want a blog celebration of her birth like last year so here is an old favourite poem from when fifteen was five.


Sleep, darling
I have a small daughter called Cleis,
who is like a golden flower
I wouldn't take all Croesus' kingdom
with love thrown in, for her
---
Don't ask me what to wear
I have no embroidered headband from Sardis to give you, Cleis,
such as I wore
and my mother always said that in her day a purple ribbon
looped in the hair was thought
to be high style indeed
but we were dark:a girl whose hair is yellower than torch light
should wear no head dress but fresh flowers

Sappho
tr. Barnard

happy birthday darling Blaise