I asked some friends to each give me a one-word prompt with which to write a poem. I was trying to see how quickly I could pump out decent writing, because I am generally a real slowpoke. This is the result of "pomegranate". Naturally, a certain ancient Greek myth came to mind. Here's my little contribution to the haunting canon of Persephone poetry!
***
Let it be thus known
to every girl from this generation
forward:
forbidden fruit has many seeds.
'I can test it,
I can taste it,
for my mother is the Earth
and the spring always comes
back to me.'
But now there is black
under your nails,
on the soles of your feet;
the earth is dark within this night.
Did you know how
cold the winter could be,
outside of your mother's arms?
Now the fruit you aimed to test
will turn to fire in your mouth;
the purple seeds to
embers on your tongue.
They will test you to see if you are
fit to once again
run barefoot through the grass.
By night, you lie beside your
demon lover and dream wide-eyed
of sunshine.
You count down the days upon
your pink-stained fingertips -
only three more weeks till March.
(You plot your some-day great escape
into your home above.)
Like it or not,
you are girl no more -
you show your true colors:
pink, orange, and crimson.
The season has ripened you into
a fruit that swells,
despite the frost.
I adore you.
ReplyDelete