Persephone

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Queen of the Underworld
Goddess of Spring
Wife to the Infernal King

Some call you victim
Bride without choice
Pomegranate seeds silenced your voice

But what a gift
The shadow and light
To be a queen of both dawn and midnight

By fate or by choice
You touch life and death
The cycle of life held in your breast

The symbol of rebirth
And compassionate ends
The Dread Queen with a soul garden to tend

A heart of creation
And eyes filled with fury
I honor your power in all of its glory

-gws


Chiaroscuro

I have befriended darkness
I have plunged my fingers into the deep blackness
Smelled its rich sent
Felt its chill
I have stared into its oblivion
Wondering what is on the other side
And I've felt it watching me back
Equally curious
It whispers of base things
Lust
Craving
Need
Reckless abandon
Danger
Ecstasy
Seduction
Indulgence
Pleasure
Pain
I have felt it caress my skin
Shadow spooning the light
Defining my edges
I am incomplete without it
Its contrast necessary
Reminding that there is no light
Without darkness to define it

-gws

Your Move

I see you watching
The sway of my hips
The set of my lips
The unapologetic way I take up space
You're wondering about me
Imagining my mysteries
Gauging if you are worthy
To kneel in worship before
My dark goddess displayed
Exhalant in my glory
I will take no audience
With ordinary souls
They do not ignite curiosity in me
I like those who recognize
Their audacity in approaching me
Because my eyes show
I give no fucks
I do not play
If I let you in
Doesn't mean you get to stay
I have danced with devils
And cast them all out
Barely a glance spared them
I see you watching me
What's your move

-gws

How to Woo a Poet

Crave deep and honest conversation
Sit with her
Like a blind man tracing her face
Run your curiosities
With careful deliberateness
Across her mind
And allow her to do the same
Lean into the exchange
And let the world fall away
Spend the night in philosophical repose
So you may greet the dawn
With your souls on fire
Make evenings like this a ritual
This will light a fire in her blood
This is how to woo a poet

-gws

Panels of Poetry

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I do not wish to cover my walls with too many paintings and pictures
I wish to cover my walls with panels of poetry
I want beautiful words to surround me
Like a sacred spell
Speaking truths and insights
Prayers and pleas
Into my home like a silent Gregorian chant
Poets' words holding a vigil of inspiration
Painting my walls with observations and emotion
Experience and wisdom
Humor and passion
Poetic versions of our human condition
Illustrated in language
Forcing me to pause every time I pass by
And ground in this moment by reading
Someone else's soul imprinted upon my wall
Reminding me of the depth and breath of living
Reminding me to look for the beauty inherit in experience
Reminding me to feel deeply and love fiercely
Reminding me to embrace every moment regardless of its pleasantness
I wish my home be a celebration of
Poets dreamers philosophers and storytellers
My home will be no dead poets society
But a celebration of the living truth of their words
May all who cross my threshold find something that speaks to them
And after sitting within my walls
May they leave feeling just a little more deeply than when they arrived

-gws


Possibilities

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I fall in love multiple times a day
I am wooed by the beauty of the waking sky
The feel of hot water on my skin
The rich deep smell of brewing coffee
Enchanted with my children's laughter
A stranger's smile as we pass on the street
A friend's text message saying hello
Captivated by the crescent moon in a starry sky
A blazing sunset over a summer ocean
The fog spilling into the valley over the coastal mountains
There's so much to love if one chooses to look
So much to be delighted by
All it takes is a willingness to see the possibilities in the world

-gws