Persephone’s Pledge
Never yet broken
For a time the darkness will shutter your eyes
and the cold creep into your bones.
For a time no flowers will reach for the sky
and the wind and trees curse and moan.
Hunger and loneliness, loss and despair
will narrow the scope of your lives.
At the very worst times you may even fear
that you lack the will to survive.
But I pledge to you from my underground cell
I soon will return, wearing green.
and the manacles that bite through your flesh
will shatter and melt with the Spring.
The myth of Persephone’s abduction and imprisonment by Hades, Lord of the underworld, and her release (obtained by her mother’s untiring intervention) is a story that both enchants and disturbs me.
Thankfully, with Persephone’s return for six months each year, the earth is rescued from winter darkness and cold. Seeds germinate, leaves sprout, and flowers and grain grow again.
For a while Hades must live without his unwilling captive. And we on earth gratefully welcome Persephone with praise and gratitude.
Here’s some more about the story of Persephone you might enjoy:
