23 Comments
User's avatar
A.P. Murphy's avatar

Quartet on the Eleusinian Mysteries

___

1.

Dark winter doctrine -

you must, and all around you,

die, rot - rot in earth

___

2.

Spring bursts with the news -

things that died come back to life,

you too, sweet pilgrim

___

3.

Summer Demeter

bulbs fat with new life belly -

Persephone sleeps

___

4.

Autumn's teaching now -

mother is to go beneath

so daughter harvests

==

[Stuff I learned in a previous life on a pilgrimage to Eleusis. They said they'd kill anyone who divulged it, but I don't think they'll be able to get me now.]

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

These are so cool! I read them a few times trying to decide on a favorite, but I can’t. They’re a set I can’t break up.

…. Idk if you’re talking about the archeological site or the pharmaceutical company, but it seems like either one could be transformative.

Expand full comment
A.P. Murphy's avatar

At one of those you become a greater human being, equipped with deep knowledge of the universe, at the other you learn how to defraud the public for medicinal products they mostly don't need. So yeah, I meant Big Pharma😉

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

💊😛

Expand full comment
Richard Blaisdell's avatar

Dionysus revelries with Harvest wine and dance. Deep down debauchery to make Prius a faun grow deep roots while others sleep.

Expand full comment
Songsterfunsterhamster's avatar

Washed up at Whitby,

Where fish not grain gets gathered,

Still your name brings dread

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

Ooo I love this!! I still haven’t seen the movie, but this is so atmospheric.

Expand full comment
Dylan Delgado's avatar

Protector of soil

where our wheat and bread are born

through underworld love

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

Nice! I love the connection you drew here between the underworld and the soil, very cool🖤

Expand full comment
J. Kyle Turner's avatar

Starving, our children

join Demeter's lost daughter

at her own table.

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

Dark! I love this! I wonder if Persephone felt bad, she didn’t exactly want to be there. Interesting to think about🖤

Expand full comment
Richard Blaisdell's avatar

Ceres- Demeter , repeat offender;

Touches Hades with tenderness ;

Roots receive rich ground to spring -rise to flourish rebound.

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

Oo cool connection! Some Dis Pater references?

Expand full comment
Theresa Greene's avatar

A mother's love burns

in her heart to engulf her

For a daughter lost

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

Beautiful and tragic, well done🖤

Expand full comment
Chris J. Franklin's avatar

The vengeful Goddess,

May take our grain, but that won't,

Take away her pain... 😎

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

So true! You are very wise😌

Expand full comment
Chris J. Franklin's avatar

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it... 😎👍

Expand full comment
MD's avatar

Opium Goddess

Lull me to the Land of Nods

Only place of peace

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

Beautiful and dreamy, I love it🖤

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Senryu using EE Cummings funky punctuation style.

I.

Demeter(sings)

poppies! (poppies) POPPIES—grow

through sleep’s red(teeth).

II.

WINter!stretches(lonely)

Demeter, whispers “hush”

(poppies—scream).

III.

poppy seeds! scatter!scatter!

Demeter—stops(time)

((hunger yawns)).

IV.

a poppy, falls (falls)—

Demeter(holds nothing)

—love’slastshadow.

V.

(Persephone–)gone!

Demeter’spoppiescurl

through(time’sbrokenhands).

VI.

winter cracks(wide)

Demeter pulls(poppies) through

theblackenedearth.

VII.

(pop pop Poppies poppy!)

Demeter cries (through snow,

through losttime)waits.

VIII.

who cares aboutlove?

Demeter’spoppies bloom red—

(hunger s i n k s ).

IX.

Red(burst!) Demeter!!

pop PIES(laugh!) sleep is deep

(and)she dreams nothing.

X.

poppieswhisper(time)

Demeter (shhh!) dances through

fields of(brokenstars).

Expand full comment
Honeygloom's avatar

What a ride! Love this! So much fun and so wild!

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

It was fun!!

Expand full comment