The Farmer Takes a Wife

poetry by catherine
12 November 2002
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V. the farmer takes a wife

 
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The first rule of husbandry is abstinence.

 
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She learned as she put down roots

 
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to refrain from luxury, from waste

 
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to let alone her urges toward abandon.

 
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Use it all, her mother said, and invited

 
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the scavengers to glean the virgin fields.

 
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Her wedding feast runs late. At the end

 
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there is more food than when it was begun.

 
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She weeps tears of blood but does not eat

 
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though her husband tells her it will rot.

 
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Mulch, she says. The earth will eat from it.

 
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his seed is red in his realm's dark light

 
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she has learned not to waste

 
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so she swallows it down.

 
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j_moody: the imagery is a little confusing in this one, but I would encourage you to explore it further. a lot of interesting ideas are thrown out here, and I would love to see them further developed. its also hard to reconcile Hades with the farmer (is that the case?) and Persephone with a farm wife (is that the case?). more hints?

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