i was perusing the internet late last night and came across an email that Steve Jobs sent to himself, one year before he died. i immediately knew i had to write an “after” inspired by it - something about what he wrote struck a chord in me.
if you’re not familiar with his email-to-self, i’ll share it below my poem :) without further hesitation, here is:
From: Sonja Ringo To: Sonja Ringo Date: Sunday, August 11, 2024 at 10:08 AM i eat microwave dinner when i could learn to bake rosemary focaccia. i do not know how to mend the holes gnawing through my clothing like moths. i speak a language only poets are willing to poke at. i did not discover most of life’s secrets, many still snickering beneath boulders of time. i am governed by shackles of a society i bare my growling teeth at. i am moved by art of people who died long before i gulped my first ragged breath. when i needed to be held, i was helpless to give myself the softness i give others. i did not invent the metaphor, alliteration, anaphora, or any of the poetic devices i work with. i have learned less than i think i know. i am a kaleidoscope of all the people i have loved or met briefly. sent from my iPad
🌐。 ₊°⊹ ࣪ ˖💿๋࣭ ⭑ ๋࣭ ⭑ 💻 ˖⁺⑅♡ ◛
and the email Steve sent to himself:
thanks so much for taking the time to read this! you can also find me in these other portals: ♡ my books on amazon | signed copies | instagram | tiktok | youtube | goodreads | poetry prints | threads ♡
this was so much fun!! Thank you for attaching the inspiration behind the poem. PS: totally loved it.
Beautiful sentiment