Persephone, by Jane Blanchard

The Return of Persephone, by Frederic Leighton (England) 1891

 
​Persephone
 
This business of dividing time is not
The easiest. Six months below with him;
Six months above with her—such means a lot
Of moving out and settling in. For them,
I must abandon home and habits twice
A year and never have a moment to
Myself. It seems the greater sacrifice
Is mine than theirs. I come and go when due
As set forth in a compromise once made
Or rather ordered. Being loved so much
Is less a blessing than a curse. Afraid
I may get used to staying out of touch,
My husband and my mother have proved loath
To understand I always care for both.  

Jane Blanchard

This sonnet, first published in Arion, is part of Jane Blanchard’s third collection, After Before, now available from Kelsay Books.  Jane divides her own time between Augusta and Saint Simon’s Island, Georgia.