From the Witch's Mouth & The Death of Persephone by Julia Caitlin Fazzari
From the Witch’s Mouth
My mother always told me
there was a spell for everything.
One for happiness: for this
you stir milk and honey
together and spill it into a bath.
There’s a spell to attract
a lover; it requires a red candle,
rosemary oil, and bay leaves.
One for enemies—
freeze them out, bella,
then they’ll listen—another
for times of loneliness: sit
under a tree, green and leafy,
and breathe
while holding a burning white candle.
An important spell to remember
is one of protection—stand in front
of an open fire, bella, with a bowl
of butter; let it melt and it
will take the negative energy with it.
*
The Death of Persephone
The canola fields yellowed
as Persephone entered the mortal world
again, but this time
she was late. The flowers
were happy, nevertheless,
for her return – the smell
of loam filled the air,
pollen escaped from petals.
When I was a little girl, I watched
as the flowers danced and turned
towards the sky. To me,
it was magic; I didn’t know
that the earth was saddened
by the absence during winter.
And now, as I watch,
I can see
the droops and dips
in the stems that used
to hold the buds
high. I see the once green
leaves brown more
and more. The earth
dries out, and rain doesn’t fall
as it should. It cracks
under the goddess’ weak
footfalls, mournful
for the loss of
nature’s balance.
Executive Producers
Daniel Henson
Sue White
