Eleusinian Mysteries

A poem

Since, long before
Alexanders horses
quenched their thirst 
at the banks of the Indus

We, devotees of Olympus
praised you
the Corn-Mother
- spurn the heathen 

Before even,
Pericles had the Parthenon’s
first stones laid  
at Athens grand Acropolis

lest it befit a necropolis 
I must thank you 
Demeter
for this grain, and bread

which with fervour fed
all who gathers 
here, at Eleusinion
by your grace

in this sacred space
this Boedromion
to celebrate the latter state
of summers gifts 

long fertile days till Helios lifts 
his sight
and dips his chariot
behind the sea

celebrate thee, Persephone
she, who was taken
undead
as Hades Queen

who Helios had seen
plunging beneath 
aback a black chariot
to the underworld

devouring six pearled 
fleshy pomegranate seeds
which tethered her 
to that deep dark realm 

Zeus, at the helm
seeing your anguish, Demeter
agreed to reunite 
Mother with Daughter 

and brought her
Persephone, back to you 
and us, and with her
spring has sprung

on it, our hopes are hung
for the yearly harvest
thanks to her too, Persephone
who must thus return

for those six seeds which churn 
in her belly
tie her to the seat
where she is to rule

all those who fall
at the feet of her judgement 
for a third 
of each yearly succession

she must remain in the possession 
of Hades, till alas
she comes once more - forevermore
whence she descended and arose;

still claim heroes 
who, yearn to make a name
in the blood of beasts 
and brave men
 
who, again, and again
wager their lives on earthly glories
or, as Ajax the Great
fall on their sword

to join the horde
of undead souls
slipping into Elysium
or, Tartarus…

on a full stomach.

© Darius the Mate

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Written for dVerse Poetics.

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