Susan Hawthorne #267 Demeter

before Hades before Zeus
before Poseidon were
Demeter Persephone
and Hecate

when Hades abducted
the young girl who was
picking flowers it was more
than rape it was an act of war

colonisation by any other name
Demeter acted as any mother
whose land is occupied
she searched in a state of grief

Zeus knew and was silent
Hecate heard and asked
questions helped Demeter
in her months' long search

the earth grieved too
crops died rain failed
to fall only then did Zeus
worry not for Persephone

but because he feared
the human race would
be extinguished what are gods
without worshippers?

brother to brother he told
Hades to give her up
he did but only after tricking
the young one yet again

she drank red wine ate seed
of the pomegranate was doomed
to return to that place of violence
one third of the year

another story of the trio
of brothers the third one
Poseidon panted after Demeter
in her state of grief still searching

for her daughter he assaulted
Demeter who metamorphosed
became a mare Poseidon turned
stallion and raped her

these are our histories
warfare against our bodies
pillage of land conspiracies
of silence unending violence