Some of the verse fragments below are by the late poet Ted Hughes, from The Birthday Letters, a volume of poems addressed to Hughes’ troubled soulmate Sylvia Plath. The rest are by fans of the syndicated television drama Xena: Warrior Princess, from the site www.xenafan.com, whose “Fan Fiction” section contains a number of poems addressed to Xena’s troubled soulmate Gabrielle.
1.
I wanted to make you a solid writing-table
That would last a lifetime
2.
You sweetly sing of heroes,
Hold your listeners’ souls
Cupped in your small hands
3.
I cannot, in feeble words alone,
Express my feelings for you. Because of you, I
Live again. Because of you, I
Love again.
4.
She and I slept in each other’s arms.
Naked and easy as lovers, a month of nights. Yet never once made
love.
5.
When at night the dreams
Replay my past,
And the ghosts of the dead
Come to haunt me,
Your laughter strikes
6.
I look up—as if to meet your voice
With all its urgent future
That has burst in on me.
7.
You don’t know how your voice soothes my soul
How your tales shield me from my past
Making this road I travel worth everything
8.
Who will remember your fingers?
Their winged life? They flew
With the light in your look.
9.
A holy law
Had invented itself, somehow, for me.
But she too served it, like a priestess, Tender, kind and stark naked
beside me.
10.
Only I heard a subtle intoxication of want
Trembling flesh, pounding flashing fire
Liquid life so tantalizing just beneath
The soft and pliant skin waiting to be taken.
11.
You are my friend,
my companion,
my bard.
I know how much
of your life’s
been hard.
I want you to stay with me,
and we’ll see what we can see.
My friend,
my companion,
my bard.
1. Plath (by Ted Hughes)
2. Gabrielle (by Judy)
3. Gabrielle (by Sal_Fan)
4. Plath (by Ted Hughes)
5. Gabrielle (by Philip Howell)
6. Plath (by Ted Hughes)
7. Gabrielle (by Storygal)
8. Plath (by Ted Hughes)
9. Plath (by Ted Hughes)
10. Gabrielle (by Pamela A. Lord)
11. Gabrielle (by Jessica Caldwell)