The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sun 11/16/2008)

[RetroLounge]

Persephone

I like being queen, I like the helpless
way Hades looks at me. It's praise,
his hunger. More beautiful
than all your flowers or grain.
And I like the chill moist air
of the cave, the stalagmite's thrust,
the vault's lacquered gleam. Here,
my skin takes on a porcelain glow. Life
slows down underground: a quarter inch
of limestone takes a thousand years to grow.
An eon for coal to be pressed to diamonds.
It's a relief to come back after summer's
green frenzy, budding and blooming,
fruiting and seeding. I call for absinthe,
its billowy clouds. Then I strip off
the long cotton skirts, peasant blouse,
comb the spent petals from my hair.
Hades is impatient, but I make him wait.
I let him polish my toenails, but I keep him
at a distance, the wand trembling
in his hand—not even one cool fingertip—
until my command. He's adorable
when he wants me that bad.

Ellen Bass

*************

:hi:

RL

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. cute

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

3. Made me smile too...

:hi:

RL

[Chorophyll]

2. Ha ha. Good for Persephone.

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

4. She's such a tease...

:9

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. My dear Retro!

Mmmm...I love this!

Great eroticism!

Persephone knew how to make Hades sweat, didn't she? ;-)

Excellent poem, and I thank you!

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

6. ...

:hi:

RL