Persephone's Tale

Torn between

love and how she wants to live

weighs the sunflower seeds

in her warm and living hands

waiting, wanting, choice withheld

sees that still and silent hall

deathly hush and pillared dark,

deeper darkness stretching out

echoed eaves where shadows hang

curl and linger, throng and mass

purposes that haunt the hall;

shades who flit the columned aisles

bereft of names.

She's weeping.

The seeds are chill, counting them

on her pale palm, clad in white,

she paces through hollow halls,

uncertainty echoing

each footfall on marble call.

Can she live in this half place,

between the worlds, life and death

she who is life, up above

whose steps are flowers in life's realm

up on the green living Earth?

In spacious fields, orchard groves

vines and fruits swelled by the sun,

she loves the work, done in joy,

tending planted terraces

choosing to tame fertile earth

with hedge and plough, next year's hope,

plant and gather, pluck and grow

sunlight on skin, cool air, rain

the twining green, songs of birds

her mother's hearth, bright and clear.

She yearns for it.

But loves him.

This is his realm, his domain

these chill veined floors, pillared halls,

dark river's tides, shores of death,

this dark his dark, these shades his

his charge, his work, what he chose

(though drawn by lot long ago)

his world, his cares, these drear dank

and shadowed halls, these walled ways

this underworld, death below.

Between these streams all folk pass

across the Styx, life to death

through Hades' realm, then plunge in

through Lethe, to a new life,

forgetting self, to choose chance.

The lingerers must learn here

not to cling on, to let go

and start again naked once more.

He cannot leave, she asked him

telling the names of earth's joys

beads on a string, her best hopes.

He wept salt tears, shook his head

sunlight hurts him, but his face

is light to her, touched by love.

Still on his throne his face set

he will not speak will be fair

her own free choice but his eyes

plead loneliness and matched love.

Seeing him there her heart moves

to stay and build life with him

life in death's halls, together.

Slowly with use come to care

for shades of grey for his sake,

not best of all, but worth it.

Her heart pounds at time to choose

the green world or her heart's lord.

She eats three seeds, starts to choke,

her mouth filled with death and dust

his warm dark eyes, concerned now

his kind hand held out to her

to take the throne by his side

she tries to smile, swallows.

Then from afar, drawing near

a new sound, splashing of oars,

Charon is come, out of time

the dark boat crosses Styx stream

no freight of souls, not this trip

a goddess, sure of herself.

Under the throne, Cerberus

growls very low, hackles rise.

Athena shoes snap on marble

angry and proud, her daughter

belonging to earth, must not stay

in this dark hole, no matter what.

She marches in, ready for war

glowing with light, life and health

no weapons shown, save being here.

No glance she gives the throne room

she walks straight in swift and sure

stands to defy the dark king

and his pale bride on one throne.

Presents demands: "Return my daughter now."

Straight on to threats without pause,

"Or the world dies,"

in jealous pride, "All laid waste

withers and falls, if she stays,

end to all life, and all hope."

She pales, her choice to leave the world, not slay it.

Vainly she pleads, Athena smiles

a tight lipped smile of a wise widow;

"Fool of a girl shall all starve

and the world die for your sake?

In the sunshine I missed you.

I know your heart, what you wish

you are my kin, must come back

who could choose gloom and half-death

when poppies bloom in gold corn?"

Cerberus growls, three heads raise

lips peal from three sets of teeth.

Hades stirs on his dark throne

"By the laws of all worlds

she is my wife by free choice

she has eaten of death's food

and so must stay, relent now

you have your world and we ours,

she is my queen, no prisoner

you may see her in sunlight

as she chooses to go forth."

A pale gold stream her hair falls

as her head turns, her lips part

he grins at her and she laughs.

Laughter's echoes light the hall

shades draw closer sensing hope

the air seems warm, their hands touch.

Athena sneers; "How touching,

you offer her a few crumbs

of my hard work, as your gift.

Not good enough, dead man's god.

I want her back."

"But Mother,"

she says at last, "I ate them,

my lord's right, I want to stay

by my own choice, and live here.

Let the world be, I love him."

"What do you know of love's taste

the honeyed wine of true joy,

you're a child still, I know best.

You ate three seeds, spit them out,

and we leave now, the boat waits."

She reaches out one swift hand

to snatch the girl off the throne

and a dog's jaws snap and close

on Athena’s arm, red blood flows,

but falls not far, the shades rush

shroud her in dark, lap the blood

take solid shapes, memory

stirs in their eyes as eyes form.

Athena recoils, has fed them,

now they are there and will speak

in thin bat-voices, longing.

"Chrysothemis was my name, --INWE--

I saw such death, such blood fell,

my father slew my sister ---- could refer to Mandur, betrayal within House of Dor?

then my mother struck him down ---- this happened to Inwe; Gildorian killed Fringol

my brother and my sister

killed her and both fell then.

Revenge? For what? We're all dead,

and I as well, it's no good,

hear me Great Queen, walk your path

as she walks hers, let her go."

"I was a queen, my lord fell --MANDUR--

my son slain, city burned ---- Minas Tiris was lost to fire (Rantor)

and then a slave, bore more sons, ---- makes me think of Inwe

sorrow and pain, they died too

now I am here, my name lost.

What will you then, to cause harm?

Children are grief, let her go."

"A warrior I, in North lands, --ELERIENNE-- ---- implies a Human or Drow in the East, or a dwarf in the West - poss Gwendolyn?

lived past my time, saw all die ---- could be Elerienne, a half-elf would live beyond her time

he vanquished me, let me live

to bear his son, whom he killed. ---- an evil Merc may choose to vanquish Elerienne to bear his children?

I give up grief, even my name,

let her be free, let her go."

"Lady, I died a king's death, --YISHMAY-- ---- this implies a male or at least a ruler?

wed to the plough, my folk thrive, ---- Probably human - Yishmay I think

a noble end, on I go, ---- died without corruption, so she is safe

passing through here heard your words

consider us suffering

up on the Earth, we weak men ---- men, could imply the race not the gender?

a sacrifice you might make:

put by this grief, let her go."

"Ah life is sweet, blood is life, --MILAI--

now I am dead, blood is sweet.

I think I was a mariner ---- Milai!

sailed far away many seas.

Take up your joy where it falls

and do not bind what goes by,

she made her choice, let her go."

The chorus rises: "Let her go"

Cerberus' snarls scarcely heard

above the clamour, the dead,

the whirling shades reaching out

for life, for blood, for memory

for breath to speak one last word

swirl, and are gone to darkness,

off to Lethe, off to life.

Athena steps back, blood all dried.

Hades sets a gentle hand

upon his dog's right head

Cerberus slumps by the throne.

The lady, in the calm,

holds her mother's gaze and says

"I have eaten, I will stay."

"Then nothing lives. I don't care

to sacrifice my one child,

if you are here, they'll join you

all folk be shades whirling through

born just to die in glorious war."

"Mother, you're mad."

"I mean it.

My grief is great without you."

Hades' slow voice. "A compromise.

Half her time here, half above."

"Then half the time war will flow sould to me"

"Is that enough?" he asks straight.

The Girl shakes her head

slow tears fall, then draws breath

Athena, smiling to herself,

is startled when the girl speaks.

"My father taught, long ago

that with our power comes a trust

to use it for people's need

the good of folk and not harm

and though they don't understand

to harm them not by our whim.

They are our kin, and our charge

and we, as they, are bound by fate.

This is your whim, let me go."

Uncertain now the first time

she bites her lip, not all mad,

on that dark throne the two shapes

slip hand in hand and wait words.

At last she speaks: "One third, then!

One third down here, this dark hell

condemned to this, my poor child,

the rest with me, the green world

stops still and waits without you."

Hades then bows, and his queen

stands tall and straight and steps down

setting the day she comes back

a cool exchange, they touch not.

Their eyes speak what words can't say.

The boatman rows, looking back,

Athena serene with a smug smile

she knows her own and hoards it,

and the set-faced queen of hell

the world she loves turned to pain.

The growing world green and fair

until summer when she leaves

and all scorches without her.

She picks sad flowers in green fields

her mother asks now and then

in plaintive tones without thought

why she works now so very quiet

when before songs were joyful

dismisses all her answers.

The Lady counts the days

till she can leave the tilled earth

beauty she loves, trees and streams

sunshine that falls on branches

borne down by weight of red fruit

to walk among dark dread halls

where her heart lies with her lord.

And when she comes, time is short

for Athena’s spite never stops

the growing things bake and droop

and hunger comes up above

their days of joy far too brief

all measured time, a high price,

time ticks by the pillared halls.

They meet and part, meet and part

in joy and love, together.

And while she walks, sorrowing

flowers at her feet, through fair fields

she sighs and stops, her face falls

this is not home, no longer

her mother's spite poisoned all,

the flow of life, and love's flow.

Far down below in dark halls

a dog howls from three throats

his master's lap weighed with heads

the king of death strokes six ears

waits like stone for her return.