Versions of Chai

Just like the Fates, Demeter and Persephone also hail from Greek mythology. Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and Persephone, her daughter represents spring. Persephone was very beautiful and her beauty attracted Hades, the god of the underworld. After a series of events involving abduction and a few pomegranate seeds, Persephone is doomed to spend half a year in the underworld. During the six months that Persephone is gone, Demeter mourns her daughter's absence and the earth experiences fall and winter. This poem is about that absence and how Demeter feels when her daughter is away. It is written in the form of a sonnet using a Spenserian rhyming scheme and iambic tetrameter instead of the more traditional pentameter.

This is another poem that I feel needs some work. In fact, I wish I could skip it, but I am committed to posting each poem in its unrevised glory. The poem is based on the idea that the way to immortality, to the fountain of youth, is through having children. Of course, I don't think I am the first person to suggest this connection. I think the concept here is good, but the poem needs to be whittled down and sweetened.

Of the times I was able to hear my daughter's heartbeat, a couple of them were via a doppler instrument at the doctor's office. The heartbeat is not as clear with this method as with an ultrasound and it can be difficult for them to "find" the baby's heartbeat. Sometimes when they were searching, we could hear my heartbeat instead. Mine was much louder and slower than the baby's quick heartbeat. After coming home from the hospital, I thought of the connection between our two heartbeats as a kind of duet. Even though the beats were different, they were making music together. With her gone, this connection was severed and my heart went back to singing solo. In this poem, I use some musical terminology that everyone may not understand so I am including a small glossary at the end. Glossary of Musical Terms Adagio : slow and restful. Allegro : lively and fast. Alto : lowest of the female voices. Cadence : sequence of chords/sounds that brings an end to a m...

I tried to experiment with a few different types of poetry in the chapbook. This one is my first attempt at a prose poem. I'm not sure if it meets all the requirements or not. Maybe it's just a plain paragraph. Regardless, it is written to my daughter.

Last spring was very difficult for me. Having just lost my baby, it was painful to watch nature blossom all around me. I wrote this poem during that time to describe how I felt. Normally, I enjoy the colorful signs of spring and the thawing of winter's cold. But if the seasons had matched my feelings, last winter would have been very long indeed. I am happy to say that this year I am back to enjoying the signs of spring and very glad that winter is finally over. Of course, my enjoyment is bittersweet because the memories from last year will always be with me, but each flowering tree teaches me to hope. Winter will not last forever. Spring will come again.

In Greek mythology the threads of human life are controlled by a trio of industrious women called the Fates: Clotho, who spins the threads; Lakesis, who measures the threads; and Atropos, who cuts the threads. I know there is a lot of controversy about when life actually begins, but for me, my daughter's life began as soon as she was conceived. This poem is written to her.

Since today is the one year anniversary of the loss of our daughter, I feel it is very appropriate that this poem is the next in line. It was actually the first one I wrote after coming home from the hospital. I may have even started it a year ago today. Other than that, there's not really a lot of commentary to add as the poem speaks for itself.