“I hid within myself / to be neither seen nor heard”
Photo: the author under a starry Sky in Finland during the last week of 2024
“But now the wind blows,
the tides rise,
I hear Artemis whistle
I see Athena polishing her shield,
I feel the graceful steps of Aphrodite
and Hecate summons me on moonlit nights.”
Extract from the poem “Yield”, Stefania Lucchetti, Coffee Stains On My Books, 2024. Contemporary poetry.
Buy the book to read the whole poem
Yield is a poem about inner rebirth—a journey from retreating into oneself to rediscovering the world and one’s own strength. Here, surrender is not a defeat but a truce: the need to embrace of vulnerability and periods of defeat. During these times solace and meaning can be found in the symbolic embrace of Hestia, goddess of the hearth and inner home. Hestia represents warmth, peace, and protection—a haven for regaining balance and grounding oneself.
For those of you who have already read Coffee Stains On My Books, you know that mythology is a recurring theme in my poetry.
The opening line, “I hid within myself… until I could no longer find myself” captures a profound disorientation—a period where retreating into isolation led to losing touch with oneself. This can be painful, yet the poem also acknowledges that life often unfolds in phases. At times, we are called to pause, grieve and reflect, and at times we have a duty and responsibility to devote all our time and resources to take care of others. Then the time comes again to find the strength and the possibility to return to ourselves. Hestia’s presence reminds us of the importance of honoring these cycles, offering a safe harbor to yield to.
This pause becomes a moment of regeneration and reconnection with the soul’s essence. The arrival of other goddesses—Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hecate—marks the dawn of a new phase. They symbolize facets of inner strength reawakening: independence and instinct (Artemis), wisdom and courage (Athena), love, art and beauty (Aphrodite), and magic and deep intuition (Hecate). These energies appear when it is time to beckon one back to life, offering inspiration to reengage with the world and embody a renewed sense of purpose and wholeness.
In essence, Yield is a meditation on rebirth, resilience, and the natural phases of life. It affirms that embracing life’s ebbs and flows, allows us to re-enter the world with a deeper sense of self and purpose. Moments of solitude, dedication to others, and periods of vibrant self-expression are all cycles which have their time and space. The poem reminds us that resilience is born from honoring these cycles—trusting that times of retreat and healing pave the way for flourishing anew. The conclusion encapsulates this essence: a cautious return to the world, accompanied by a natural fear born from past suffering. Yet this fear is not a weakness; it coexists with the “determination of a reborn soul,” one that has drawn strength from suffering, stillness and responsibility and is now ready to expand with clarity and vitality.
This year, 2024, has been one of reawakening for me after several challenging years. the poem Yield expresses the full spirit of it. My family trip to Finland was a beautiful close to the year, filling me with gratitude and wonder beneath the stars visible under the crystalline night sky captured in the photo above.
As I look ahead to 2025, I hold a sense of curiosity and hope, knowing that life’s journey is as much about questions as it is about answers. Sometimes, retreating into oneself is necessary—to grieve, heal, and rebuild. It is in these moments of stillness that we prepare for the vitality of a new part of the journey which lies ahead.
