Granma’s Ring

Ellie Morfou

When Granma gave me her ring
bearing her name and bearing mine
(for mine in hers has been inspired)
she had embedded it with love
motherly strength to overcome
whatever tries to cripple my soul.
And thus, when days seem dark
despite the glorious suns above
my heartbeat getting it all wrong
racing to help anxiety thrive
my breath in vain struggling to dive
deep down my starving lungs alive,
or when at dawn I find myself
praying that it was time to sleep
and my ‘good morning’ is a weep,
that’s when I put on Granma’s ring
observing it onto my finger cling;
and suddenly, it feels like spring!

Born in the mid-1980s under a different name in Crete, Greece, ‘Ellie Morfou’ emerged amidst the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, which helped her remember how much she used to love writing as a child. Since rediscovering this passion of hers, she has been writing verses endlessly and enjoys it thoroughly! When not writing, she spends time with her family, hangs out with friends, translates legal documents and makes time to read her books. Part of her work is available on her instagram page @elliemorfou.