A Song for Demeter

By Lasa Limpin

This is a book of poetry dedicated to the Greek goddess Demeter, mother of Persephone, goddess of all good things. I hope these poems can be a good place, deserving of Demeter’s name, but I know she won’t mind either way, being a goddess of immense kindness. To be with Demeter is a privilege barred to none, a secret joy open to all, hiding under the simplistic telling of her myths.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lasa Limpin
• Release date: Dec 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463293737

Lasa Limpin

Lasa Limpin...

Book preview

A Song For Demeter

Lasa Limpin

Blue Monkeys Press

©2018 Lasa Limpin

All rights reserved.

Sing Muses of the Goddess Demeter, mother of all. Hermes guide me. Pasaya be with me.

*

[I’ll learn to be quiet

Like birds in a box]

*

Demeter seems to be the goddess whose story is about someone else

She is the goddess who is self effacing

Who cares for children

But she is the grain

She is the grain

She is the earth

She is food

I don’t understand

She is a body

What she is matters more than who she is

Demeter is Demeter without giving

Without holding your baby

The embattled space of Demeter

Peace eludes me

Mother of all

And nothing

She gives

Life I breathe and waste

She gives the world

I walk on her

Step on her step over step

I ignore her

I can do no justice

When I speak

If the words are meaningless

A box to put a woman inside

She may

Be the trampoline for another’s

Leap

How is this fair?

Demeter

I wish not to feel

To see you

As All

I can only see

Earthly

Mothers

Hated for being

Mothers

Who put their children first

Honored

Disliked

Respected

Degraded

The truth of motherhood

Is it is the key

to the hatred of women

And I do feel the anger

I do

I do

Imagine a woman

Giving herself over

To the child

Losing

To the Mother

I feel anger

I feel anger

I can’t hide it

Unwilling

Demeter

Great mother

My highest

Respect

I can’t give honestly

I’d lie if I called you

Dearest

I have my own

Human mother

Who is Dearest

I won’t

Betray her

She lived in a society

That betrayed her

That betrays us

All your Daughters

I’d have nothing

If I tried to reach

For it all

Demeter

I know

my words don’t

Offend

I’ve made no grievous error

In writing down the truth

Of my heart

Motherhood

For me

is a killing twin

I could have easily

Stepped forward

Another of billions

Of Mothers

Lost

To the tragic

Endless

Cause

Of children

The hated bliss

Of caring for

A little

Time eating

Monster

*

Demeter

the flowers are

Your children

The ground

Gives

Life

What of life?

Demeter

I have not been

A bird in a box

This is no act

Of defiance

I would as soon expunge

a song

About motherhood

It’s a private question

How can I find you?

If you search for your Daughter?

*

Demeter

I feel