Sorrow's Children

Poet's Notes

(Show)

Become a Premium Member and post notes and photos about your poem like Jerrold Prothero.

An extract from my epic poem The Way of Trilobites, available on Amazon. See PS classified.

Persephone, as sorrow and as grief, The world and all its tales are told in brief. The mirth of all the ages comes to this: A sunlit sorrow and a broken bliss. The laws of sorrow rule the lives of men! And we are different words within that line, That may, together, solve its mysteries when Arranged within a harmony divine. And therefore, sorrow’s children are we all, And we, like tears, together stay or fall. Beyond our reach are we, what e’er we clutch. We are not who we are, but who we touch. There is no realm where sorrow doth not go! Nor shall it be a stranger to thy soul. So make it thy companion, not thy foe. With sorrow and compassion, both be full. Then wear thy grief, but wear thy grace as well, And walk no more the Plains of Asphodel. Leaven lands thou left, light love, light ladies! Persephone, thy spring is not for Hades.

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Millard Lowe

Date: 4/25/2025 11:41:00 AM

Poetic perfection, Jerrold. The Greek-based mythological wordplay in this profound messaging flow gave it so much depth. Love the inspirational last line. Thanks for the share. One. Peace and Love.

Jerrold Prothero
Date: 4/25/2025 2:25:00 PM

Thank you!

Rhan Henry

Date: 4/24/2025 1:19:00 PM

We are after all the sum total of our choices and we learn more from our failures than our successes for failures sting is a bitter lash.

Lin Lane

Date: 4/19/2025 1:17:00 AM

Hello, Jerrold. Making sorrow a companion is not what most would ever consider doing, but I'm sure Persephone made it so after her abduction. "We are not who we are, but who we touch." That's such a profoundly interesting line. Your writing style is of 'olde' and welcomed reading.

Lin Lane
Date: 4/19/2025 4:47:00 AM

So, you were playing god with the gods? LOL Love the idea. That would make him an innocent. I'll be reading more of your poetry, Jerrold.

Jerrold Prothero
Date: 4/19/2025 4:41:00 AM

Thank you, Lin, for this and your other kind comments. As background, in a longer work this comes from I altered the myth so that Persephone left the world out of sorrow, rather than was abducted. Which put Hades in a rather difficult position as a protector, rather than the traditional villain. In the middle of a divine war. For such as her, the heavens must they move.

Keith D Trestrail

Date: 3/16/2025 5:09:00 AM

Wow! Where have you been hiding? You are a wordsmith and a wonderful addition to the Soup. I shall be reading more.

Jerrold Prothero
Date: 3/19/2025 9:38:00 AM

Thank you, you are very kind. I was more lost than hiding, until my bow ran into PoetrySoup. If you are interested, I posted an article on my compositional technique yesterday (as you know, I can't put a link here).