The Wildness and the Blade, for Prompt 78 Persephone

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Helen

Image credit: classicalmythinart-demeter.blogsot.com

These childhood games we played
The wildness and the blade
We’d never shed one tear
Our blood ran thick as fear

This bride to death in black
Calls to retreating backs
Cross tempest wretched sky
Her ululating cry

Each bone is broken, lost
Demeter pays the cost
Through winter’s caul betrayed
Her skin but redness flayed

A dirge so beauteous sung
Each simple rite begun
These childhood games we played
The wildness and the blade

For mindlovemisery and Jen’s prompt at: http://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/prompt-78-persephone/

Check it out – most amazing film clip to inspire you!! 🙂 🙂

About Helen

I'm drawn to blogging as a way to share ideas and consider what makes us who we are. Whether it's in our working life or our creativity, expression is a means to connect.

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This entry was posted in Earth, Poetry and tagged blood, dark, death, demeter, Life, myth, perspehone, prompt, rites, ritual, sacrifice, summer, wild, winter. Bookmark the permalink.

13 Responses to The Wildness and the Blade, for Prompt 78 Persephone

summerstommy2 says:

October 26, 2014 at 5:14 am

It was an amazing video Helen and you have responded to it so well. I especially enjoyed your illusion to childhood games. Well done.

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- helenvalentina says:
  
  October 26, 2014 at 5:15 am
  
  Thanks Michael!! 🙂
  
  Reply
mindlovemisery says:

October 26, 2014 at 5:55 am

“Our blood ran thick as fear” I love that line! I also love your reference to Demeter as there are indications throughout the video that they are performing some sort of fertility right. Brilliant!

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- helenvalentina says:
  
  October 26, 2014 at 6:15 am
  
  Thanks so much, it was a cool prompt!! 🙂
  
  Reply
C.C. says:

October 26, 2014 at 9:05 pm

I like that you began and end with the same two lines and that nothing in between them bore any resemblance to the ‘childhood games’ one typically thinks of. Great response!

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- helenvalentina says:
  
  October 27, 2014 at 12:04 am
  
  Thanks so much!! 🙂
  
  Reply
J says:

October 27, 2014 at 4:45 am

So exquisitely written Helen — what more can I say that hasn’t already been said? Calling to the retreating backs just breaks my heart —–

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- helenvalentina says:
  
  October 27, 2014 at 5:17 am
  
  Thanks so much, that is so kind!! 🙂
  
  Reply
  - J says:
    
    October 27, 2014 at 5:19 am
    
    It was amazing.
    So many good responses to this one … I’m a bit afraid to write my own now, LOL! o.O
  - helenvalentina says:
    
    October 27, 2014 at 5:21 am
    
    You will do so something brilliant, I am very sure!! 🙂
  - J says:
    
    October 27, 2014 at 5:22 am
    
    The muses seem not to be so happy with me tonight. 😦
julespaige says:

October 27, 2014 at 1:34 pm

I looked up the myth and could only get a short handle on this.
I like how you focused on how as children we learn from the adults around us, playing at their rituals.

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- helenvalentina says:
  
  October 27, 2014 at 7:06 pm
  
  Thanks, yes, I based this more on the film clip for the song at the link to the prompt than the myth, though the references to Demeter and to a bride to death were vague allusions to the original story of Persephone. 🙂 🙂
  
  Reply