she didn’t have to tell him he could sleep tonight;
he had waved goodbye at the doors of the church
love in his eyes as life and death greeted each other
before the angel of mercy went home

their home felt more like a staycation now,
as the cat pushed her nose against their bags
are you sure you want to go?
but the ends of the earth were written in her already,
there was no need to ask –

the woods that hid the ore seemed warm as they walked
slowly, baggage was only gone from the family tree,
not their shoulders –

the ash tree that stretched before them
dug roots through circles and realms
the promise of something more sliced into its trunk

she needed no scythe when she had a heart
life was as strong as any demon she could summon,
and when they stepped through the door hand in hand,
it had never occurred to Hades that Persephone would have
willingly walked into the underworld, when all she had to do
was ask.

Prompt: Slice
ALTERNATIVE TITLE: and spring had made it to the underworld