poemranker ::Persephone by Lynn

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Free verse № 15031

Persephone

Member since 2002 · Posted 13 Sep 2002 · 13 comments

Yes, it was date rape - and later maybe Spousal assault, I mean don't you think Locking your wife underground with things That are - well - fundamentally dead Is the kind of a thing a girl should be rescued from? So of course my mother was right And she certainly never lied when she Said she'd be back; and she made me promise Not to eat or drink anything. I really thought It was just an ordinary hunger strike. Or maybe to keep me looking rescuable. She doesn't herself anymore, you know. The Earth Mother type, always fussing in the garden And in the kitchen, baking bread with one hand And tugging at my waistband with the other. So when he offered me a few pomegranate seeds - Opulently red, you know the way they are, Turning your fingers purple as you dig them out Of the dead flesh. Oh, I thought they couldn't Possibly have enough calories to hold me anywhere. They were sweet, with a bit of a bite. Like his kisses. What do you want me to say? I admit it's Controlling and abusive and really if we were Starting right from the top I would have run a Little faster in the first place. But now I confess I like it. I like him. I like the darkness and the screams. I'd rather be queen of the dead part of the year than Nobody all of it. If we were starting from the middle I'd still open my mouth and let him Drop those bloody pearls onto my tongue.

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13 comments

[10] <~> 13-Sep-02/10:27 PM Reply
Excellent. bloody excellent.
[n/a] pete 14-Sep-02/12:35 AM Reply
bloody 'ell ! .... that woke me up ... 7
[10] god'swife 20-Sep-02/10:35 AM Reply
Wow this really is gorgeous. Great images, told in voice of a young woman. The relationships between her and the other actors are fully developed. This is fine. Reminds me of Ann Sexton's Transformations. Have you read them?
[n/a] Lynn › god'swife 27-Sep-02/3:56 PM Reply
Thank you all.

I have read some of Sexton but not that collection or it is a series? I will look for it.
[10] god'swife › Lynn 27-Sep-02/5:01 PM Reply
It's a book of poems dealing exclusively with the retelling of fairytales. I think it's still out of print, but every library has at least one copy.
[9] Christof 16-Oct-02/8:24 AM Reply
This is a great updating, and very funny. Well done.
[9] ecargo 8-Nov-02/9:24 PM Reply
This is great, a hilarious retelling, dead on.
[10] Cha no Onna 21-Nov-02/4:20 PM Reply
It's nice to see one of your poems here. You're really very talented. You should post more.
[10] Idaho 22-Nov-02/9:51 AM Reply
I always like your poetry, Lynn, but this is one of two that you've written that I have printed out and in my cubicle at work so I can read them regularly.
[n/a] -=Dark_Angel=-, P.I. › Idaho 22-Nov-02/10:44 AM Reply
Your cubicle? So... what's it like cleaning the public toilets in Aberdeen? Just one big job after another I'd imagine.
[0] deleted user › -=Dark_Angel=-, P.I. 24-Nov-02/1:32 PM Reply
true true (ahh budwiser ummmm beer attually to be honnest a bit of stella well ard is better than crappy american budwiser hey thats life)
[n/a] Ranger › deleted user 7-Jan-03/5:30 AM Reply
Wassaapppp?
[0] deleted user 24-Nov-02/1:30 PM Reply
boring!!!