Persephone's Lament

It all happened so fast

The day the sunshine left me

His cold arms wrapped around my waist

The wind was knocked out of me in a futile scream

This cannot be happening.

 

Arms out stretched my love reached for me

"Stop!"

"Please!"

"Persephone!"

He screamed from his river home

My lover,

My Demetrius was growing smaller and smaller

As this chariot to hell dragged me down beneath the soft grass where I once slept

 

"Hush now child" He cooed to me,

As he would a small bird,

Stroking my face,

Kissing my neck,

Groping my waist,

Calling beautiful...

Lovely...

His

 

It was so cold

Yet there was no breeze,

No air

No light

Yet I could see all

His midnight black hair and tortured eyes

As he kissed me without relent

Owning me

Controlling me even as I begged for mercy

Perhaps he wanted love

But that is not what he took from me

 

I could see the fake, crystal pomegranate trees

Shining with small rubies

I would loose myself in those artificial gleams

As he would torture me

In an "act of love and care"

 

My hope was slipping through feeble fingers

Like smooth sand on the beach where Demetrius had held me

Sending warm tingles down my spine

Would he ever save me

Could I even dream?

 

 

No

 

 

Weeks went by

Desolate darkness was my home

I couldn't sleep I couldn’t eat

Numbing my mind

Steeling my heart

It was I could do

To keep from ending myself as I often thought I would

It was as bittersweet fantasy

That kept me sane for days...

 

"Eat my bride" He breathed

His breath cool on my ear

Making me shudder in dread

Don't let yourself feel

It's all an illusion

Pain, solitude, sorrow

Love

All just a painful illusion...

 

I was persistent in my strike

Until I could not take it

After he left me alone, bare, shaking

One common midnight,

All my body wanted

Was a perfect, fresh pomegranate

 

Mother came with Apollo and Demetrius

Just as I swallowed 6 crimson seeds

I leapt, weeping, into his arms

"My love,

My sweet,

My Persephone..."

He sang in his musical voice

But a rough, familiar hand pulled me away again

I'm falling..

Falling...

Falling into hell

Save me!

 

* * *

 

I swallowed the seeds

That’s one of the rules

If you eat you stay

I could never truly be free

Half my life is a summer dream

But half is a bitter cold

My child rests in my arms

How I detested the idea of him being the son of the devil

But His blond hair and blue eyes remind me of my love

When I am swept away for 6 lonely months

To rule this melancholy purgatory that I hate

Author's Note

Love the myth of persephone and Hades. And don't get me wrong, i like the greek god of the underworld, and in the real myth persephone doesnt have a lover and learns to love hades. But hey this is just for fun:) Reviews are greatly appriciated!
God Bless

Reviews

[selkietales]

That was awesome! I like your twists, with her lover and the child. I love their story in mythology too :)

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you:) Its one of my fave myths (thiugh in reality i understand why hades did it and persephone grew to love him

[Lost in Wonderland]

God Bless
-Lost in Wonderland

[selkietales]

Your welcome and thanks, you too :)

[selkietales]

You're*

[C.A. Lucas]

I am very interested in Greek Mythology and I love this story. I also like your taste :)

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank u very much:) God bless

[writingcrazy55555]

What a fantastic poem! Fresh, well-written, fluid, and nice use of vocabulary. You took the story and gave it a special twist that was interesting and new. With things like this, they are either excellent or they crash and burn. This poem, however, was excellent. Nice work, and I hope to see some more of your work in the near future! :)

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you so much:) God bless

[Rose of Gondor]

Beautiful poem and a great retelling of a greek myth! This brought me to see a different side of it, of Persephone's heartbreak and her pain.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank u so much:) God bless

[Serenity Faith]

Just w0w0w...I love poems that tell a story. Often they're not done well, but I'll be damned myself if this wasn't a good one. And you made a twist out of Greek mythology, absolutely wonderful ^_^

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank u so much:) God bless

[Drowning with Stars]

This is incredible, so much depth!

[Lost in Wonderland]

thanks chika;) Luv ya!

[None]

This is really well done. It tells the story in a beautifully worded and elegant way. I enjoyed your choice of creating the story into a poem. The duality of her life and the heartbreak of her plight is well captured. The crux of that moment where she swallows the seeds, ah! Great work. I think this has a ring of feminine rights to it too.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank u so much:) I'm a bit of a feminist do I suppose it makes sense that women's rights showed up (tho it was subconscious haha)
God bless

[Lost in Wonderland]

Does anyone knows exactly here under what it's about? better not :) beautiful poem, wonderful word choises.... Demeter, the godess of nature, and seeds and the "Gaia" of the old Greek mytology can bring new life... even for those under sea...

E.L.

[Lost in Wonderland]

thank you for the kind review:)
God Bless

May the Universe bless you too xx

[Lena Rossmore]

I love it! I love the structure, I love the story and i love the word choice! Amazing.

[Lost in Wonderland]

thank you very much:)