I N F J, shy and introverted The beautiful sunshine maiden doth be Hadn't clue how to show authenticity With a mom so outgoing as had she Until out of the chasm appeared Hades Introverted, Lord of the underworld Showed her his kingdom, red seeds as his spades That curse gave her wings to use in a whirl The girl lured mom to remain impartial Appeased her with siren song unbeknownst Six months of the year marked perennial Thus impasse 'tween mom and daughter-- no more Spring and summer in fertile symphony Eclipsed lovers: Hades, Persephone *** © 2021 selmamartin.com
Fun things they do at dVerse:
Welcome to dVerse! It’s the beginning of August and in the ancient Celtic
calendar, it’s Lughnasa. And if you’re more of a Saxon, it’s Lammastide.
It’s time to celebrate the grain harvest.
Ah, I cannot tell you how happy I am that we are somehow moving away
from this heat, and readying for the next season.
Give me a poem that bubbles up from this mixed up family saga, a poem that
smells of spring, or is touched by the dark fingers of the lord of the dead.
~ sarahsouthwest at dVerse for Poetics: Persephone
Thank you, dVerse.
How does this relate to Lammastide? Well, one interpretation of this legend is that Persephone personifies the grain – planted underground in the autumn, to grow and flourish in the spring. She is the spirit of the corn. This is such a rich myth. There are some powerful archetypes here – the innocent young girl, the grieving mother, the reckless lover, the great king of the gods. Or perhaps you see a girl desperate to escape a possessive mother, or an angry woman who is prepared to destroy mankind to get what she wants. Is Hades an impetuous lover or a controlling coercive husband? What about Zeus? He’s head of this dysfunctional family. There are also those seasonal elements – spring merging into summer; the first cold mornings of autumn – those first frosts that kill off the last of the summer leaves. The bleakness of winter. Tonight I’d like you to take inspiration from this myth. I’ve tried to keep my retelling as minimal as possible to give you space to use your imagination.
Far as I know, I set my mind to work on my first sonnet. Way over my head!
And wanna know something: I just found out that sonnets aren’t the kind of
word-play that you just throw together, because you set your mind to it. Nosir!
But I found it a great way to get my juices flowing, though those juices were
supposed to go towards a pending writing commitment.
I gave the myth and the style all I got (which isn’t much to start with, but that
ain’t stopping me from dreaming), and I’ll have you know that this one took me
all day to complete. Now, I’m spent.
Anyway, I gave it my best shot and hope you enjoyed it.
Photo: Image by JL G from Pixabay
Also, I wish to point you to this picture (my first choice today) at MetMeuseum.Org: Fig. 1. Frederic, Lord Leighton, “The Return of Persephone,” ca. 1890–91, oil on canvas, 80 x 60 in. (203 x 152.4 cm) (Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds Museums & Galleries) — Public Domain, which, for some reason, I could not download.
Thanks for reading. I wish you miracles.
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I really enjoyed your sonnet, Selma – I’ve only done one or two myself – they’re hard!
Also, MBTI for the win! I’m an INFJ myself 😀
<3
David
David. You did? Oh my. Thanks so much. Toiled. I think I might have blown a fuse with this one. Haha.
It was fun, though.
INFJ. I knew it! Like recognizes like!
What do you know, it’s true.
Thanks for the comment, dear one. Here’s looking at ya 💕
I wish you miracles.
<3 Selma <3
Well you nailed that sonnet. I find them so hard! I particularly liked your final couplet – eclipse works emotionally and in terms of living in the darkness. Thank you for sharing.
I appreciate you reading and commenting. So happy for the prompt that gave rise to it.
Be well, Sarah. Blessings.
Very nicely done Selma… You did a great job with the for and Prompt.
Thanks for the encouragement, Dear Friend. I appreciate you.
Great sonnet, Selma, drawn on the tale of this, the most dysfunctional family in Greek mythology….in my humble opinion that is!
Hey, Beverly. Thanks for visiting. Dysfunctional indeed, but still a reality in many parts of the world. May we soon wake up from this nightmare. Be well, stay cool, we are closer to fall already… (I like fall best of all) Stay safe. I wish you miracles.
I loved it, so fun and I like how you examined the mother-daughter relationship. An original take on this prompt!
Thanks, Ingrid. Your comment is encouraging. BTW, I just read the good news about your lovely book. Aww, I’ll get the printed copy, read and promote when I’m done. This is such a worthy cause. Congratulations on taking this on. You’re the editor of this one. Are you Editor? You keep on impressing me at every turn.
All the best. I wish you miracles.
I am not sure if I qualify as Editor with a capital ‘E,’ but I certainly gave it my all 😊
You qualify! ❤️ 👏
🥰
Selma, I was unable to leave a comment yesterday…WP problems! 🙄
This is a wonderful sonnet and your take on the prompt threw light on how the mother-daughter relationship might have been.
I know how WP problems are frustrating. I’m there all the time. Me and my clumsiness. 🤦🏻♀️
I appreciate you returning to leave a comment. Reading these are the highlights of my day. So thanks so much. I appreciate you. xo
I had to return! A mere like is not sufficient at times. How would you know if I don’t tell you how much I liked your writing! ❤️
Aww, see, now I’m all teary eyed and so happy. Bless you. Thanks.
Happy tears here too! Hugs.
This is absolutely EXQUISITE! 💝💝 A standing ovation from me 🙂
Oh my heart. Be still, my heart! Thanks Sanaa. 🤗 💕
I did enjoy this.
You writing is not only beautiful but advanced in a lovely way.
You’re kind to say that. Thanks so very much. I’m thrilled you read. Hope all’s well with you. Stay cool and safe. I wish you miracles.
Thank you,❤
A lovely sonnet, Selma, rich with imagery. They are indeed eclipsed lovers. I liked the description of the lord of the underworld as being introverted 😄 of course! That’s why we never see him, he’s created a whole underworld to reside in!
Hope you are well 😊💕
I figured there must be something there that keeps making Persephone return time and time again. Sure, he put a spell on her with those seeds, but …
Thanks for reading Dear Sunra. I appreciate you.
❤️
Hi! An INFJ here too 🙋😅 Love your sonnet, could really relate to it with an extremely extroverted mom and sis 😄
Hi, Daphny, you too— how sweet. For sure that makes us relate more to Persephone if we see her in that light.
Thanks so much for reading and relating. I appreciate the comment. Thanks, D. I wish you miracles.
It’s a great pleasure reading ☺️ And thank you. Wishing you the best as well 🙂