The Invitation

I’m inviting Persephone back into my life.

She’s been gone for a while.

Either she’s been in the underworld and

I’ve been wandering the earth

(like grieving Demeter on her way to Eleusis),

or I’ve been down below and

she’s been up here with Mom.

Funny.  I’m not sure which.

Anyway, I’m calling her back.

We’ve been invited to guide an expedition.

I can’t do it without her

(not very well, at least).

She really needs a channel,

and I’m willing,

if She so chooses.

Which I hope She does since

I already accepted the job.

What a fiasco it will be

if She doesn’t show.

She doesn’t often let me down, though.

Once or twice I felt abandoned,

left to fend for myself in a

gust of cold wind.

Made a fool of myself.

Once or twice.

You can’t count on the gods

to do what you want,

now can you?

But those old ones,

they need us humans.

They’ve been abandoned, too.