queen of the underworld

Persephone bites, scratches, and kicks all the way to hell.

Persephone is not crushed daisies,
Persephone is brambles on fire;
Persephone feeds Tantalus and brags about it at dinner.

Persephone rolls up her sleeves, installs a fucking air conditioner.

Persephone still eats pomegranates;
swallows them whole.

Persephone takes hades to couples therapy.
Persephone passes the tissues, is the therapist.

Persephone wears leather in the bedroom
thrashes like she did the first day
spirals into herself until she can see butterflies-
does not mistake release for freedom;
Persephone knows freedom when she smells it.
Persephone knows freedom is the same color as envy.
Persephone fucks hades with a strap-on
and for the first time someone in hell cries with pleasure.

Persephone becomes shattered wind chimes
sings in the worst weather
becomes the word ‘fire,’
becomes her mother.

Persephone never loses her howl.
Persephone never forgets how to bite.
Persephone grows out her fingernails,
learns how to wield them.
Persephone is rabid dog, is lioness,
takes her cage and makes it hornet’s nest

Hades is never not red and purple again;
Persephone makes him the color of pomegranates.

Persephone spits fire
Persephone is the angry ghost of road kill
an explosion of glass
a black eye-

Persephone grows roses
wears pink
puts her makeup on like war paint;
knows that it is war paint
knows that this is war.

she gets wine drunk, ruins christmas
never takes another dance lesson;
teaches herself.
Persephone dances, she breathes,
she comes out alive.