Calypso

A poem about letting go of love.

Calypso 

By

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

(A Dreaming Sea)

Beneath gray skies too vast for words,

A sea stretched wide of blue,

In symphony of salt and wind,

Where time stood still in you.

The waves which whispered ancient songs,

In tears of loss and pain

Echoed in rhythm; a heartbeat's hum

In fall of mournful rain.

The air which kissed my skin with grace

As seagulls sang adrift

Weeping lay to broken heart

Of melody in gift

I stood as one, so all alone,

In vow to set you free,

And in the silence; between each breath,

My tears became the sea.

Author's Note

Nothing inspires me more to write than the ocean itself. I find it timeless and eternal, and a bit sorrowful as well. It's as intimidating a wonder as it is beautiful. It makes me feel insignificant, yet part of something greater then myself. Sure, my muse told me to say this for the clicks, but it doesn't make it any less true. Thank you for taking the time to read this poem. CLE

Reviews

[Dylan Macadham]

Beautiful, Impactful! Love it!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Dylan for you kind comment on this poem. It took months to compose and I wasn't sure if it would find resonance in an audience. The story of Calypso and Odysseus is a sad one. Yet, its message very universal. To love so powerfully you are willing to die for it, yet the only way to honor it is to let it go. It's a moment we all experience in life at one time or another. It's hard to capture such moments like that in poetry because they are meant to be lived and not spoken. Despite the months of work on the composition of this piece I still don't feel I'll ever capture a love like that on paper. But that's why we are poets, we love, we dream,we write. CLE

[Dylan Macadham]

........🙂👍

[.]

This poem really touched my heart. The words are like an open wound left by a knife. The wound needs to breathe to heal, but it hurts more with every contact with air. Rereading your words made me feel these things. Really special words. That's perfect. One of the best poems I've read in a long time

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Beren, for your kind words on this poem. I wrote this a few months back not knowing the journey these words were taking me on. To love so strongly you are willing to die for it, yet the greatest gift you could give in honor of that love is to let it go. It's a universal moment everyone of us has experienced in life. We cling to the things we can not have. And in losing it the sea becomes our tears. Thus was the story of Calypso and Odysseus. And the thousands of years that passed since that tale was written we still as human beings love just like that. With every piece of our hearts. It's why we're poets, why we dream, we love, and we write. To touch a single heart and let them know they are not alone in their pain from love. CLE

[.]

even just a simple comment of yours is like a poem! a real artist! your words are very valuable and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to read you. Please keep writing, sharing and touch our hearts!

[MCS]

Your poem is both beautiful and profoundly sad. You weave words with such flair. Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed Mary

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Mary, this took a few months to write. I had no idea where these words were taking me until the last stanza. I had read the story of Calypso and Odysseus and found it sad yet so human. To let a love you're willing to die for go, it is a universal moment we have all endured at points in our life. I tried as best as I could to capture that emotion and still doubt I was able to. Because those raw moments have their power over us for they are lived and felt, not spoken. It's why we as poets continue to dream and write. Thank you so much again for sharing your thoughts with me on this little poem. CLE

[MCS]

My dear friend, your poem is complete and you hit your target. Art always seems incomplete by its creator. My theory is it allows the viewer or reader to step into the piece and interact with it and draw forward the message they need. I loved your poem.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, as a fan of your work as well that means the world to me. CLE

[ETERNITY]

Hi Carlos Lorenzo Estrada, A return review and much appreciative, I read this and am totally intrigued! I also love ocean poems and am drawn to rhyme though sometimes mine is not near as cohesive.
I love this. The final stanza especially touching...;
Thanks so much for sharing.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and kind words with me. I so appreciate it. The beauty of poetry is that even the imperfect is perfect. This poem is no less powerful then your own. What defines a poet is their willingness to share. Art is not art until it is shared. And through the grace of your own heart you create wonderous poetry. A gift you give to others unconditionally. That is brave in my eyes. Keep expressing yourself and never doubt in the art you create from within you. If it even touches just one heart it has significance in this world. Remember art is subjective. There are poems I wrote that took so much to write and that I believed many would find amazing to read, but very little did yet knowing one found resonance in the work meant the world to me. The world needs poets right now, speaking their truth and changing hearts. One word at a time. You are a poet. CLE

[ETERNITY]

@Carlos Lorenzo Estrada, I must be really bad because so many outstanding poets have given me advice. Perdition advised, "Take the stance of beauty, walk softly into the waters, into the spirit dancing within you, into this so called chapter of "demise" Be beside your words, your stance of passion, and feel your mirrors of ancestry. This is all yours, so much as they are mine." I will make Study Notes of your advice as well...I'm really bad. Thanks so much.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

When you speak from the heart and its truth the words are not bad. They will resonate and mean something to someone. I'm more at ease writing short story then poetry. Since becoming part of this community it's taught me to refine and redefine my skills in poetry. I still speak from the same heart. One of my very first attempts at poetry is a poem called Bullet. It was raw and poignant a message. I could probably go back and rework it now to make it somewhat presentable but to me I'm proud of how it is and still remains. Never consider yourself bad, it literally takes a brave person to express themselves to a world of naysayers and critics. You are a poet and as you continue to grow as a writer so too will it refine your work within your art. I can't stress enough how art is subjective. Some of the worst stuff I put out got much more attention then some that I worked months or a year on. Trust your instincts Dessi and never stop believing in your voice as an artist. It has value, but only if you believe. Please I implore you to keep on writing. There is nothing that makes you see who you truly are as a human being then the art that you create and the bravery to share, flaws and all. The imperfect perfect. CLE

[ETERNITY]

I appreciate that. Now, to read Bullet.

[Soren]

Ah such an ending to this wistful wind and seductive sea where dreams float on hypnotic waves. A most beautiful poem. Loved it my friend

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I can't thank you enough for your kind words. When I first began writing this a few months back I had no idea where this poem was leading me to. The journey of these words had a sorrow that seemed to resonate with me. The tale of Calypso and Odysseus is a sad one that at times reflects our own passions and finality of love. Letting go of a love you are willing to die for is in the tradition of many fables and myths that define love as its message. I'm so happy the work I put into this resonates with you. A gift I'm so glad to share with everyone whose works I admire as well. CLE

[Soren]

Yes indeed the theme is a powerful one from Homer to Dickens and a Tale of Two Cities. One theme that continues to linger in my mind in real life as well.

[Betty Hermelee]

Dear Carlos
i read this Six times and then read it to my hubby because it touched my heart so deeply and truthfully…… the tone is so heartfelt, sad, yet bit of relief i discern, even though you let your. love flee…you have a sense of calm. like the sea, and the freedom, like the seagulls….I am in awe of
your ability to write such stunning poetry…..
Warmly,
B🌷🌷🌷🌷

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you so much for your kind words on this poem. I am equally in awe of your ability to to stir emotions into your art as well. It's a gift you have that is innate in your nature and talent. As a young boy growing up my high-school literature teacher once said in class that the great writers instilled in their work words that stir the senses. They painted with emotion in text that leaves their audience feeling the work. Using the five senses of touch, scent, sight, sound, and taste to bring the reader into their world or vision. I would also include emotion. For nothing makes a piece of writing more luminous if we can't make them feel for it. You do with ease in your artful work as a poet. As quite a few in our community that teaches me the beauty of this art form we love. I love writing stories, but being here taught me the love of poetry, which is not easy for me to create. But I'm moved by your art and those of others here to work outside my comfort zone. When I was young I didn't have an appreciation for poetry, but now as someone nearing sixty I understand it and see its beauty and deserved reverence. To say so much in so few words that we move the hearts of others. If that isn't a powerful form of love I don't know what is? Thank you again for everything your kind words have given me. CLE

[John the Baptist]

Very good rhyming and imagery in this one. Your impression of the sea as sorrowful comes through strongly.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you, JB, for sharing your thoughts on this poem. There is just something about the ocean that brings out a bit of melancholy and awe in me. Perhaps it's the feeling of not wanting to leave once I'm there before it. Thank you kindly again. CLE