She is a lover of demons
Even, a seductress of demons
What fools those demons can be
Seeing a beautiful young woman
With an interest in the dark arts
An easy catch, they think
Such an easy soul to harvest
One they could use to draw in
Other mortals by their desires
But mortals are not her desire
And she is not tempted by
Their standard promises of wealth,
Eternal youth, or temporal power
She is not satisfied even by
Their sexual prowess (but enjoys it)
No, she wants more, something
More unexpected, deemed impossible
To awaken in their cold, dark hearts
Love, not mere lust, actual love
Tenderness, a desire to make her happy
And, somehow, she does
They find her irresistible
Because she does love them
Loves that in them that is not evil
She loses them all, of course
And misses them when they are
Called home to Hell for
Their failure to take her soul
Called home with broken hearts
To be separated from her
And useless to their master
Much as she would like to
Work her magic on the Prince
Of Hell, Persephone is not
Inclined to share her husband
And told her so quite firmly
And also quite affectionately

Bob Wertzler is retired from almost twenty years in the mental health field in California and Arizona. There are times the title, “Recovering Therapist”, seems to fit. In 2006 he retired to move to Western North Carolina to help and become primary care giver for his father who had developed Dementia. Before all that, there was work at various times as a soldier (US Army 1967-70), community organizer, cab driver, welfare case worker, wooden toy maker, carpenter, warehouse worker, and other things. He relates to a line in a Grateful Dead song, “What a long, strange trip its been.”