persephone

they emerged from your early
ardent months into the next
doused and salted
the earth exhausted of its blush
while all of us leant from your arms
to the shade

and after the bedsheets in bin bags
return from the laundrette
and spent, you walk us with
soft palms, faithful smiles...
the trees allude with menstrual leaves to
desertion

even while they
with their
synchronised seeding
delicately
nurse their
your
fruits down
hill.