Disciples of Sappho

“Eros, again now, the loosener of limbs troubles me,
Bittersweet, sly, uncontrollable creature…." Sappho

Gina had always been a precocious learner. Her mother had read her stories in two languages from the time she was barely able to understand, in English and her Mother’s native Greek. Gina grew up to stories in English and Greek. Her mother began teaching her to read the same stories when she turned two. Since this is the age when humans are most able to absorb language, Gina grew quickly as a bilingual speaker and reader. She never lost the Greek as her mother would give her books in Greek to read and would discuss these stories, always in the Greek tongue as Gina grew.

By the time Gina entered Middle school, she had read most of the great classics in the original, The Odyssey, The Iliad, Theogony and more. The first day of school, the teacher in their Literature class gave the students an assignment to write about any book they read that summer. There was some consternation among the boys who hadn’t read a book and they were assigned to tell about anything they had seen that had words in it, which might have been only the comics.

Gina quickly wrote a little about Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War. Ms. Harris, Gina’s teacher, was surprised as she read the essay that night for it was quickly apparent that the girl had read the book in Greek, as she commented on how the language made slight differences in the meanings, something Gina’s mom always had her notice. Katherine Harris had never had an eighth grader reading the Greek classics and certainly had never expected one to have read them in Greek.

Katherine began keeping an eye on this girl. The first thing she noticed, other than her cute face, was her elfen looks. The next things she noted was that Gina was mature beyond most of the other students, mentally and emotionally as well as physically. Girls aged so quickly right around those years as they moved quickly from childhood to womanhood seemingly overnight. She was used to seeing little stick figures with long coltish legs enter her class in September and by June of the following year, they had filled out into little women who could take your breath away. Poor Katherine was susceptable to their charms since her first sexual encouters had been with girls when she was also in middle school. Since those first wonderful encounters, Katherine had always been sexually attracted to women and especially to young looking women who reminded her of those first heady days of sexual exploration when love was so sweet and overwhelming.

Katherine was young for a teacher, having finished college at twenty-one, and she started teaching at twenty-two. Her urges she considered natural, but she knew how she would be treated if found out by the powers that be. Therefore, she tried to keep a tight rein on her attractions. It would be worse for her than it would for a man accused of sexual interest in the girls, for hers was an unnatural attraction, at least in this time and place.

She didn’t feel so, of course. She had come to Sappho in college and knew the long history of Sapphic love. Her senior project had been a paper tracing the influence of Sappho on English literature and society. Katherine noted the feelings she had for Gina, but put them aside, except in her dreams safe at night in her own bed.

But the feelings suffused her whether she acknowledged them or not. And people are perceptive, whether or not they realize it. So it came to be that Katherine might touch Gina, petting her, almost without noticing it. But Gina noticed it most strongly. Gina felt the attraction from her teacher. It confused her, for she didn’t know that a woman could be attracted strongly to another woman. But Gina felt the attraction and as anyone would, she reveled in the attention and desired more. She became even more attentive in Katherine’s class and the teacher noticed her longing looks.

Katherine’s fantasies became even more vivid and always included Gina. She found herself almost every night lying in bed and recalling something Gina had done that day, some look, some question, and the fantasy would launch. Katherine’s hand would be between her legs, rubbing her to climax before she would even think of it. With her entire fantasy life revolving around the girl, her attraction during the day became stronger. Gina felt the attraction and her own desire for her teacher waxed greater. The whirlwind of desires whipped faster and stronger day by day.

Gina’s attraction was not overtly sexual. It was the desire to be attractive, to have someone notice her, to feel special, all of which Katherine made her feel. Gina began staying after class for a few moments to ask a question, then to have a little conversation. Day by day, the two grew closer, more intimate, and Katherine began to lose her reserve and her control as her fantasy life spilled over into her real life.

It burst fully into bloom with a simple question. Gina asked, “What did you specialize in studying?”

“It’s funny you should ask. It was a Greek poet, Sappho. I know you read Greek, but I had to study her in English since I don’t speak Greek.”

“I could translate, if you’d like,” Gina offered, desiring the teacher’s approval.

Katherine’s imagination immediately took off. Gina and her in her bed reading the greatest Lesbian poet… She shook her head, then asked, “Would it be all right with your mom to come to my home and study?”

“I don’t see why not,” Gina said.

Katherine’s desire for the girl soared, but still the conventional reasserted itself. “Well, let’s think about it,” Katherine said in denial of her own desires.

That night after dinner, Gina looked in her mom’s bookshelf of Greek books. She spied a slim volume and took it down. The title page was Lyric Love Poems: The Poetry of Sappho of Lesbos.

‘Lesbos?’ Gina wondered. ‘Like Lesbian?’ She opened the book and read the introduction. ‘Why would Katherine have specialized in a Lesbian poet?’ wondered Gina. She began reading several of the poems. They were love poems, sometimes to a young man, sometimes to a young girl. Especially in the Greek original, that both genders were lovers and that of female love for a female friend was obvious. Gina put the volume back.

That night as she lay in bed she couldn’t fall asleep. She and her girlfriends had talked about lezzies and laughed and giggled. Was it possible that Ms. Harris was one of those? The touches and caresses now came back to Gina. ‘Oh no,’ she thought. ‘Was Ms. Harris touching her because she was one of those?’

The next day at school, Gina watched Ms. Harris closely looking for some telltale sign that she was a lesbian, but there were no stigmata to show she was. She looked completely normal.

That night after dinner, Gina asked her mother about the poet. Her mom took out the volume and read several of the poems. Her mom went on to explain how in ancient Greece, eroticism wasn’t confined to one gender. Men were allowed to love men and women were allowed to love women and both were expected to perform their duties in the marriage bed. The coming of Christianity had changed that, at least on the surface, but in the historical context of Classical Greece, Sappho was a completely normal upper class woman. Sex was never a sin until the coming of Christianity. "Oh, her poetry. I think it was Symons who said, '...of all the poets of the world, Sappho is the one whose every word has a peculiar and unmistakeable perfume, a seal of absolute perfection and illimatable grace.'"

“But mom, she was a lesbian,” Gina protested.

Her mother looked at her, “So, does that make her an axe murderer?”

“But my friends…” Gina started.

“Are prejudiced and mostly don’t have any idea what they are talking about,” her mother finished. “Gina, don’t grow up close minded. Different times were different. Not wrong just because they were different. Maybe, just maybe, they were right and we are wrong in our prejudices. Consider that.”

That night, Gina had a lot to think about. The next day she stayed after class and asked, “Ms. Harris, how come you wrote your project on Sappho?”

Katherine paused. She knew there was more to this question. “Gina, I sense there is more to the question. What is it you really want to know?”

Gina knew what it was she wanted to know but she couldn’t just come out and ask. She temporized, “It just seems a funny poet to write about since all of her stuff is fragmentary. At least, that’s what mom’s book said.”

“That’s true. But I didn’t write about Sappho’s poetry. My thesis was on the effect of her poetry on American poetry, especially modern poets,” Ms. Harris explained. "She was a great lyric poet and influenced many moderns. She wasn't just an ancient author. There is evidence her poetry was still available and read as late as 1073 but was destroyed by Christian fanatics as they have destroyed so much beauty when it disagrees with their fanaticism."

Gina felt the air go out of her sails. She had been so certain, now she wasn’t certain at all. Maybe her mom was right. “Okay, I guess I understand.”

Katherine smiled at the girl.

Gina saw the smile and again felt special. She returned the smile and the bond was formed once again between the women. Katherine felt the need deep in her being and it caused her to throw caution to the wind. “If you would like you could come over to my place sometime and I could show you my thesis, though it might be a little esoteric.”

“I’d like that,” Gina said, happy to again be special and favored by her teacher.

As soon as the girl accepted, Katherine realized the danger of the situation. “But, we’d have to be careful, since we wouldn’t want anyone else to know. Otherwise the other students might feel left out or that you were getting special treatment.

Gina loved the idea of getting special treatment, “Of course, Ms. Harris. I can keep a secret.”

“Good,” said Katherine.

That night, two different mental conversations took place. Gina was thinking of Sappho and her love poetry to young girls. Never having any sexual experience except self touching, Gina was ready and willing, no, more than that… she desired to experience. Her body was being flooded with sexual hormones and the physical desire nearly overwhelmed the young girl. Her brain was being rewired by those surging hormones to put aside the things of childhood and take up those of adulthood as lust replaced play in her mind. Remembering her mother's admonition she lay in bed thinking about how women can share their love, and whether or not Ms. Harris was a lesbian. Her thoughts drifted to what she wanted and that Ms. Harris would make love to her, to show Gina about sex. Gina touched herself to her best climax ever with Ms. Harris’ face in her mind.

Katherine was also picturing her desired girl lover, Gina, but her mind, less overwhelmed with hormones, noted the danger in the situation. She would have to be careful. Gina certainly appeared to be ready, as Katherine herself had been at that age, but you could never tell for sure. Katherine began constructing all sorts of ways she could bring Gina to her home and show the girl Sapphic love. She took a warm bath and got herself off thinking of Gina.

The next day in class, Gina couldn’t take her eyes off her teacher. Katherine noted the intensity of Gina’s eyes on her. More than the stare, she felt the passion behind those eyes. Katherine found herself getting wet just from Gina’s stare.

She finally had to slump into her chair and had to teach the rest of the class from there, rubbing her thighs together in answer to those eyes.

After class, the other students disappeared quickly. Gina stayed and came up to the desk. “Ms. Harris, I would like to know more about Sappho.”

“All right,” Katherine temporized, still feeling the arousal from the girl’s stare. “Maybe we could get together Saturday at the library.”

“I was hoping we could maybe get together at your home, to talk,” Gina said.

Katherine took a breath, Yes or no. She had to decide, now. Her loins forced the answer. “Okay. I can pick you up here at school and we’ll drive over, say ten.”

“I’ll be here,” Gina said. Her face lit up with a big smile. “I’m really looking forward to you teaching me.” She spun around and bounced out of class.

Katherine, full of sexual tension, noted the double entendre and wilted forward on her desk, resting her head as she almost climaxed just from thinking about the girl. ‘I hope this turns out well.’

Saturday morning, Gina stood in front of her mirror appraising how she looked. During the summer, she had spent every day in the pool, and the sun and chlorine had bleached her hair a pale blonde. Now that she was in school, her natural brunette color had begun to grow out. Worse, her mother wouldn’t let her bleach her hair, telling Gina she was too young. Yeah, right. Too young! She admired the pink top which molded itself to her breasts and the white skirt which showed off her legs. Overall, Gina was happy with how she looked. She just hoped Ms. Harris would like her.

She went up to the school. At ten sharp, Ms. Harris pulled up and Gina hopped in her car, a little Mini-Cooper, and off they zoomed. Gina was nearly bursting. But the conversation was impersonal at first. When they arrived at her apartment, Katherine led Gina to her place. Inside, Gina looked around trying to see something that would confirm her opinion of Ms. Harris. What would a Lesbian’s apartment look like?

“Would you care for tea?” Katherine asked the girl.

“Um, sure,” she answered.

Katherine put the pot on and came back to the table. She had several books open.

Gina sat next to Katherine who read one of the poems aloud:

To A Girl in a Garden

O soft and dainty maiden, from afar
I watch you, as amidst the flowers you move,
And pluck them, singing.
More golden than all gold your tresses are:
Never was harp-note like your voice, my love,
Your voice sweet-ringing.

“Ms. Harris,” Gina began a question.

“Call me Katherine while we are here. I’d like it if we could be friends away from school,” Katherine said.

Gina smiled brightly, “Okay, Katherine. What I was going to ask is why did Sappho write so many poems to young girls?”

“Because the women tended to be excluded from most city life in the ancient Greek world. They were locked away in the house. So the women would get together and naturally intimate bonds would grow between the women.”

Gina asked, “Intimate, like physical bonds?”

Katherine nodded.

“Is that why you like the poems of Sappho?” Gina asked.

Katherine wasn’t expecting such a direct question. She felt the butterflies in her stomach but she nodded anyway.

What Gina did next was completely unexpected, by both women, but the spell of the moment along with all of her fantasies made her bold. She leaned towards the older woman and lightly kissed her.

The kiss exploded in Katherine’s body. She moaned in surrender and put her hand on Gina’s cheek pulling her lips back to her own and kissed the young girl with passion. Slowly, their lips parted and tongue danced with tongue. As they broke the kiss, Gina’s face was suffused with pleasure. Katherine realized she had gone way over the line. “Gina, are you sure you want to do this?”

Gina smiled and nodded, “Yes.”

“Have you ever kissed a girl before?”

Gina shook her head. “Does that matter? I know I’m not experienced.”

Katherine smiled, “No, you don’t have to be experienced. But do you understand what happens between women?”

“That’s why I asked you to teach me about Sappho,” the young girl said.

“You don’t mean the poems, do you?” the older woman asked.

“Those too,” Gina said.

Katherine felt those butterflies in her belly. There was no doubt now what the girl wanted. What Katherine wanted was this lovely young woman and the girl wanted to learn. Katherine took her hand and stood up. Gina followed, now getting nervous herself. It was one thing to think about this abstractly, but now this woman was taking her to her bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, Katherine unhooked her own skirt and dropped it. Gina looked unsure now that the reality was so close. Katherine nodded and pointed at Gina’s skirt as she pushed off her panties. Gina dropped her skirt and pushed down her panties before she looked back to see Katherine tossing her top aside and standing proudly naked.

Katherine looked at the girl still in her top and saw the bald pussy, her lips engorged and puffing out. ‘Oh, she is already turned on,’ Katherine thought. “Let me help you,” she said as she stepped over and helped the girl pull off her top. Now they were both naked. Katherine kissed the girl pulling her to her body. Gina was mature for her age and almost as tall as Katherine. Breast brushed against breast and loins pressed against loins. Gina was startled by the intensity of physical pleasures that pulsed in her inexperienced body. Her nipples were hard as diamonds and rubbed against Katherine’s own hard nipples. Her pussy pressed against Katherine’s. Katherine’s tongue danced in her mouth as their tongues wrestled.

Katherine led the young girl to her bed and laid her on it like a sacrifice to Sappho. Gina tried to cover her nakedness, shyly. Katherine took her hands and pushed them aside. “Don’t cover yourself,” she said. “You are too beautiful, too sexy.”

Gina smiled and felt a rush from the compliments of the older woman. She looked at Katherine now, her fuller breasts, her well trimmed almost naked pussy. ‘I wonder if lesbians all shave?’

Katherine joined her on the bed, kissing her as her hand began to touch her in all the places to excite the girl. Katherine knew exactly how to touch the girl, just as she had liked when she was learning, the neck, the belly as well as breasts and nipples. By the time Katherine took Gina’s nipple between her lips, Gina was already panting with desire. When Katherine’s hand covered her pussy and pressed on her button, Gina was lost in a world of sensation she hadn’t even known to be possible, floating along soaring higher and higher as her body sought all the pleasure possible from the older woman’s intimate touch.

When Katherine spread Gina’s thighs and settled between them, her pussy was red and engorged, covered with her spendings. Katherine smiled and began kissing and lapping at the girls’ pussy. She loved the heady aroma of a woman and the taste, the taste that so reminded her of all the pleasures she had with women. Katherine was experiencing her own sexual high just from licking and sucking on the young girl.

When Katherine moved to begin laving Gina’s clitoris, the extra sensation sent the girl over the top into the most intense climax of her life. Her whole body went stiff, then she began to shudder and writhe in orgasm. Katherine kept her face glued to Gina’s pussy, extending her climax. Finally, Gina slumped back onto the bed, spent.

Katherine came up to lie beside the girl. She caressed her hair. Gina smiled and opened her eyes. “I had no idea.”

Katherine smiled, “I’m glad.” She leaned down and kissed Gina who noted the aroma on her face.

‘That must be me,’ Gina thought. ‘I wonder what Katherine is like.’ She would know soon.

As they kissed, Katherine pulled Gina over on top of her. When Gina pulled back, Katherine looked up in desire and said, “Please.”

Gina knew what she wanted. She tried to please Katherine as she had been pleased, starting out touching and kissing her in all those places. Gina liked the feel of the woman’s fuller breasts and sucking on her nipples.

She put her hand over Katherine’s shaved pussy and felt the familiar heat and wetness of a pussy, almost surprised that it was so like her own. She began touching Katherine as she liked to touch herself, slowly and softly at first, then faster and harder.

Gina remembered what had just happened. She kissed across the older woman’s belly and felt it quiver as she kissed even lower. She dropped between her thighs and looked up close at her first pussy. She was fascinated by the structure and pretty color. She noted the aroma so similar to her own. Gina stuck out her tongue and ran it up the red gash. ‘Not bad,’ she thought.

Katherine was going crazy waiting, “Please do me,” she pleaded.

Gina heard the need in her voice and set to licking and sucking as Katherine had done to her. Katherine moaned in pleasure and fulfillment as the young girl attacked her pussy.

“Yes,” she moaned. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Gina smiled at hearing the older woman's lust. She must be doing it right as she continued. Katherine had been so close before Gina even started that as soon as the girl began licking her, felt the pre-orgasmic rumbles in her body. The young girl was sucking and licking her pussy and that thought alone almost caused her to reach her peak. Gina began licking and sucking on her pearl button. Katherine moaned and felt her body pushed over the top as her climax roared through her body. Gina was surprised at the gush of juices as Katherine trembled in her climax. She started to pull back as Katherine reached down and pulled her face back into her pussy, “More…” Gina was surprised to feel herself pulled back against Katherine’s spasming pussy. She knew why though and began sucking and licking as Katherine exploded in her climax.

Soon, Katherine had to push her away, “Too much,” she moaned.

Gina sat back and looked up at the woman, now her lover. She looked so sexy, her legs spread and her pussy pulsing and wet. ‘I have a lover,’ Gina thought. ‘Cool.’

Katherine opened her eyes as her senses returned, “Come here, love.”

Gina went into her arms and they kissed, each tasting the other on her lips. They lay together cuddling, enjoying the closeness of lovers, the feel of skin touching skin.

It was about a month after their affair started and Katherine was home on a Saturday afternoon. There was a knock and when Katherine answered, an attractive middle aged woman was at the door. “I’m Gina’s mother. May I come in?”

Katherine was stunned, but answered, “Please, come in.”

Once seated, the woman said, “You are probably wondering why I’m here.”

Katherine decided to acknowledge the obvious and said, “No, I know why you are here.”

“Good, that will make this so much easier.” The woman relaxed and took a deep breath. “I was raised in Greece. There it was mandatory that a girl ‘save’ herself for marriage. But because of the economy, most people couldn’t get married till they were older. The men could always avail themselves of the professional women for their desires but girls couldn’t use men for theirs. Of course, the pressures had to be released and they were. But no matter, mothers and fathers expected their daughters to eventually find a man, marry and produce grandchildren. What was a young woman’s pastime was expected to be laid aside at some time. I think you understand, I want Gina to learn about boys, grow up and marry.”

Katherine said, “Mrs. Fascidikas…”

“Call me Sofia, please,” she said.

“Sofia, I understand what you want,” Katherine said. “I’ll make sure that Gina and I don’t see each other again, if that is your wish.”

“It is. My daughter tells me you specialize in Sappho,” Sofia said.

“I wrote my thesis on her influence.”

“Interesting topic. I know that having to discourage any relationship with Gina will be difficult for you and I hate to be the kind who kills something without a chance of new growth,” Sofia said.

She set her purse down, kicked off her shoes and went over to Katherine. She pulled the startled young woman up from her chair. “Do you only like them young?” Sofia asked, her eyes on fire.

Katherine felt she was burning up from the fire in the older woman’s eyes. “Not always, I went to Mills College and the dorms were full of women who… well.”

Not waiting for her answer Sofia threaded her fingers in the younger woman’s red hair and pulled her to her lips for a burning kiss of passion. Katherine surrendered to the older woman’s passion and control, a role Katherine had always been comfortable in. She had several older lovers while in college, even professors. Katherine felt Sofia pulling her top off, then pushing her shorts down, as they kissed. Another longer kiss and Katherine realized that Sofia had thrown her own clothes off even as she finished undressing the young woman. She pulled Katherine around and pulled her body against hers, beast pressing against breast. Katherine felt her own passions stirring, the fire alight in her loins.

It was her turn as she took the initiative. She spun the older woman around and began kissing the back of her neck and her hands found her breasts and fondled them. Gasping in pleasure, Sofia reached back for the temptress who was now seducing her. It had been years since a woman had taken control like this. Sofia moaned in pleasure and whispered, “Yes, yes… Make love to me. Make love to me like you did my daughter.”

Katherine heard the words of surrender from the older woman and she understood. She bit her neck, then grabbed her nipples, twisting them as the older woman moaned. She pulled Sofia down to the carpet in her front room. Once flat, Katherine straddled her face, then bent forward until her own face was right in front of the other’s closely shaved pussy. She smelt the aroma of aroused woman. Like an aphrodisiac, Katherine plunged her tongue into the woman’s pussy, licking and sucking.

It had been years since Sofia had experienced Sapphic love… years since she had experienced any sexual love and as she inhaled the arousal of the younger woman, her libido was set afire. She attacked the pussy dangling so temptingly above her face, licking, sucking and lapping up the girl juices which began to flow copiously. Katherine felt the burst of pleasure from her loins as Sofia expertly tended to her pussy. She determined to return the pleasure thrice-fold as she licked, sucked, and fingered the pussy before her. It was a contest, a contest without a loser as the two women sought to bring the other to the highest pinnacle of sexual arousal.

Sofia felt the girl shove two fingers into her grasping pussy, working them down to her G spot, even as her tongue lashed her clitoris. Her lips clamped down on the clitoris in front of her as she hummed and tickled it with her tongue, sucking at it, almost fucking it with her mouth.

The passions now were running too high to last long as both women quickly scaled the heights of Eros. Sofia was first as Katherine fucked her with finger, lips, and tongue. As her climax burst in her body, she clamped down on Katherine’s pussy, sucking hard. That pushed Katherine over the top as both women climaxed, slowly licking and sucking as they descended from the orgasmic heights. Katherine rolled over to the side as Sofia quickly turned around and lay next to her, holding her and kissing. They slowly caressed each other floating in post climactic bliss, enjoying the feel of the other’s body against their own.

Katherine smiled, “I didn’t expect that,” she said, “When you said you were Gina’s mom. I thought I was in trouble.”

Sofia smiled and laughed, “I was hoping this would happen after I got Gina to confess why she was spending so much time away from home.” Sofia caressed the young woman’s brow. “I hope you do understand it’s not because of you, it is because I want Gina to learn to like men, and give me grandchildren. She is completely caught up in this type of love now.”

Katherine nodded. “I understand. I’ll help make it easy for Gina. I don’t want her hurt either. The semester will be over soon and she would have moved on anyway. I’ve already found the poem to send to Gina since I knew sooner or later we would have to split.”

If love thou hast for me, not hate,
Arise and find a younger mate;
For I no longer will abide
Where youth and age lie side by side.

Katherine looked at Sofia’s older but still nearly flawless body, “Any time you want.”

Sofia leaned in and they kissed, a kiss of Sapphic love, the love of woman for woman.

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