Alice
O. Howell
Persephone's room is all pink rosebuds -
she has a princess four-poster bed
white with a white canopy
dolls and teddybears and a framed picture
of Daddy and Mommy when they were young -
Persephone's closet blooms with flowered dresses
shetland sweaters and matching skirts
and she has a cork bulletin board
with a school banner, a faded corsage
from you know who -
Persephone's mother is mild and sweet
she belongs to the Garden Club and to
St. Margaret's Guild
today's the equinox and Miss Stein at school
said to look out the window and notice the position of
the setting sun
Persephone leans on the chintz cushions
while opening the latticed windows
and there is a god there
a god with dark eyes and dark intent
a dark sweater and a dark gun
She screams, but as the sun sets
she is already down the black well of time
when Persephone's mother returns
she says: Oh, dear!
a.o.howell