P Sufenas Virius Lupus
She only picked the flowers in the field,
Artemis and Hekate at her side —
To Hades’ swift advances she would yield.
Athena was not there with aegis shield,
defending divine sisters, strength allied —
She only picked the flowers in the field.
In wolf-head cap, his fearsome form concealed,
as chasm opened on his upward ride —
To Hades’ swift advances she would yield.
When to Olympos Demeter appealed
and found out what Hekate had there spied …
“She only picked the flowers in the field!”
The mother, hearing of her daughter, reeled,
and all the earth recoiled when she sighed —
To Hades’ swift advances she would yield.
It was by pomegranate that she sealed
where, for a season, o’er Styx she’d abide;
She only picked the flowers in the field.
Of her lost maidenhead she’d not be healed,
when in marriage to Pluto she was tied —
To Hades’ swift advances she would yield.
Harshness of winter, weapon she would wield,
madness like when Poseidon she defied …
“She only picked the flowers in the field!”
Approaching her gracious feet, the shades kneeled,
upon her care and charity relied —
To Hades’ swift advances she would yield.
With antics Baubo to be cheering tried
until Demeter would in peace decide
to lift her curse and her cold wrath subside;
and she returned the flowers to the field.
As piglets in sacrifice squirmed and squealed
when drinks lead to the echoed shouts they cried
and before men this mystery revealed …
as all, in their time, to Hades will yield.
In full these things to few the gods confide
the way undaunted crossing Styx to stride —
and as the sweet pith from fruit must be peeled,
she sprouted new like flowers in the field,
when to his swift advances she did yield.
