Eurydice

by Cara Maines





Long ago I was enchanted by love

The world opened up before me like a crocus

Petals yearning, straining for great heights

And at the cusp of blossom, it snapped shut



Even the loneliest girl in the world wouldn’t come here

Here it is dark hour after hour

We don’t use the words ‘day’ or ‘night’

There isn’t really any use to time

When all you have is eternity

In the river sometimes I gaze at my reflection

My hair curls underneath the veil

The flowers from my garlands never wilted

I will be a bride forever

The wound on my heel left a scar

And though it does not hurt—

Nothing hurts, here—

I am haunted by a feeling I cannot place

And there I feel it

Orpheus is enchanted by love still

In that world there is nothing but music, and poetry, and yearning

Yearning is the year-round, full-time occupation for the living

They do nothing but long, and seek, and strain

They do nothing but drink from the stream of desire,

Water that satiates no thirst

What did you come here for?

Did you think I had something to offer you?

These are things you know already, I am sure of it

The trip to hell was not so bad

The second time around

It felt like coming home again





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