Worldwide Book Rights
(C) 1995 Frank Tymon
(Previous title, "When the Water Lilies Bloom")
by Frank Tymon
The Garden of Persephone
Dry and sere it lies. Where once beauty bloomed, weeds andbriars grow, as grow untrimmed bushes once flowering plants.
They flower not.
Paths meander through the drear landscape. In earlier timelovingly attended, now lie they under gray dust and blowingbrown leaves. All paths, in good time, led to the garden gate,its posterns now long whitened by blowing wind and sand.
Dry ditches, ground cracked, dust and sand stretch from thebroken gate. The gate, the fence - fallen, twisted, even as thegarden.
By day the sun burns harshly the once green grass. By night thechill of winter coats each plant with killing frost. Gustingwinds tear and rip where once soft zephyrs blew.
In bygone days bloomed here red roses, and pink carnations. Thelilacs' fragrance, the soft beauty of the violets, thebrilliant yellow of the sunflower graced long ago this garden.
The bees hummed contentedly, and butterflies floated fromflower to flower. Gentle rains caressed the brilliant blossoms,the verdant leaves. Dewdrops glistened on green leaf atmorningtide.
Of evening, sang the nightingales. By day, birdsong and happybird chatter filled the air. In vibrant colors warblers andfinches courted here, and yellow canaries darted from tree totree. Flying jewels, the hummingbirds, decorated the flowergardens.
Always blue skies above, and soft caress of the warm sun. Attimes, white clouds drifted softly, released the gentle rain.The flowers opened wide, washed their bright faces in thecrystal drops. The falling moisture fed the myriad streams, andcooled the noontime air.
Rivulets flowed with delicate tinkling sound amidst theflowers. In the clear waters darted fish of brilliant hue, redand gold. Here grew the waterflowers along the bank, andwatercress.
A pond there was, cool water where swam the ducks and wildgeese. From time to time awkward goslings there swam, andofttimes the graceful swan.
Growing there, also, the pure white beauty of the waterlilies.
Their beauty hid a message of foreboding. A message, by the
Gods' grace, that Persephone could not read.
Here dwelt peace and tranquillity, rest from toil, relief fromcare.
Here walked, with gentle grace of fawn, Persephone in happierdays. The beauty of the flowers faded in comparison to herbeauty. Bright eyed, smooth skinned, lips the color and softnessof the rose petals she added beauty to the already beautiful.The happy chatter of the birds was lost in the happy laughter ofthis child. Here she tended her flowers with loving care,dreamed the dreams of youth - and blissfully knew nought of thetrials to come.
Bird music filled the air, each performer more talented thanthe other. Nature painted the garden with hues beyond man's ken.Persephone danced in joy beneath the warm sun, sang with thebirds.
Ceres watched with happy smile, her daughter.
Yet felt the chill of premonition.
Such was the Garden of Persephone.
And that, long since.
The Garden of Pluto
Darkness!
Not the gentle poetic darkness of a summer evening, softlyhiding the courting rites of you