Punxsutawney Phil called Persephone and said
“All clear here, spring is coming,
but don’t let me rush you.
In this our present age
of lesser gods and greater mortals
we think we’ve got this handled.”
But that afternoon the sun came out
and as he dived back into his burrow
he put his lips close to the crack
that goes all the way down
and whispered, “Hey, P?
We might need you
after all.
You’re better at dealing with shadows
than I am.”
Copyright Literata 2011; unlike other material on this blog, this work is not included under my Creative Commons license. Please do not reproduce it without my permission.
…Wow. On the surface it’s like reading a clever joke, but that last line packs an emotional wallop in a way I can’t consciously put a finger on. I love it.
Thanks! Honestly, I was thinking about Persephone and the coming of spring, and the first line came to me, and the image was just too much fun not to be followed up. When I realized the contrast between the two, the rest just flowed. I suppose I’ve been doing a fair amount recently with facing darkness and going through to come out the other side. As I read it to a friend in rough draft, I said, “It’s just silly enough to be serious.”