Three Poems by Persephone Leonard

by Persephone Leonard

Persephone Leonard is a disabled writer and artist living in Oklahoma. Her writing plays on themes of trauma, dissociation and pagan spirituality. Her poetry switches back and forth between traumatic memory and trance like experience to make visible the process of using art to alchemize pain.

Eyes

I’ve looked into the eyes of evil,

Dilated, black pupils,

Erasing earth brown,

As he shoved the pill,

Into my mouth,

And held me down,

His face faded ‘round the edges of my memories,

But clearly, I see spittle fly,

Disdain soaking twilight skies,

My innocence a sacrifice

---

Echo

Huge Cumulus Clouds on the Horizon, Look more like snow-capped mountaintops

today,

The way they stretch, to meet the green Plains, and

the burning asphalt,

Beneath the bare feet of a girl, Her mouth so full of questions for God,

Like,   How could you let this happen, Her

voice

echoes back on the wind

---

Flick

With a flick of his wrist, And the swish of his belt,

I split apart,

One world into...   

Thousands

And     

Was         

no             

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