I really enjoyed this poem and am most interested in the parallels you draw between Persephone’s story & the cyclical/seasonal aspects of autoimmune conditions. I’m another autoimmune type (connective tissue disease/lupus & more recently polymyalgia - all in control/remission now) & your poem/analysis has given me a whole new creative tool for exploring the physical/psychic conundrum that is autoimmune disease.
I think for me patterns of remission/flare-up are less strictly seasonal, more a cyclical pattern of relapse/recovery related to stressors, for example, & I find the analogy with underworld/winter overworld/spring resonates with relapse being the underworld phase & recovery the return to the land of the living. You’ve given me so much to think about!!
It always surprises me when people (especially women) read the Greek myths as love stories, as if 'love' between men and women was even a thing to the Athenians. Women didn't count. You unfortunately ran up against an editor like that.
I'm interested to hear that you have an auto-immune condition that's affected by the temperature. So do I. cold agglutinin disease. I'm still hoping to meet someone else who has it.
It was M.E. and initially it was seasonal and I went into remission, and then the remissions ended and I was stuck with it all the time. I went on carnivore diet years ago and that seemed to knock it on the head. Inflammation went down and energy levels went up. No more exercise intolerance and it built my muscles up too - I was aiming to eat enough protein for that.
Ah, glad you found a way to relieve the symptoms! The search continues for someone else with CAD. A case of being ‘rare’ not making you feel special or privileged in any way.
I really enjoyed this poem and am most interested in the parallels you draw between Persephone’s story & the cyclical/seasonal aspects of autoimmune conditions. I’m another autoimmune type (connective tissue disease/lupus & more recently polymyalgia - all in control/remission now) & your poem/analysis has given me a whole new creative tool for exploring the physical/psychic conundrum that is autoimmune disease.
It's interesting to see other people who've had autoimmune issues have also experienced a seasonal element. Thanks for your insight, Lizzie!
I think for me patterns of remission/flare-up are less strictly seasonal, more a cyclical pattern of relapse/recovery related to stressors, for example, & I find the analogy with underworld/winter overworld/spring resonates with relapse being the underworld phase & recovery the return to the land of the living. You’ve given me so much to think about!!
Lovely poem, K.M. Must read it again.
Thanks, Jim!
It always surprises me when people (especially women) read the Greek myths as love stories, as if 'love' between men and women was even a thing to the Athenians. Women didn't count. You unfortunately ran up against an editor like that.
I'm interested to hear that you have an auto-immune condition that's affected by the temperature. So do I. cold agglutinin disease. I'm still hoping to meet someone else who has it.
It was M.E. and initially it was seasonal and I went into remission, and then the remissions ended and I was stuck with it all the time. I went on carnivore diet years ago and that seemed to knock it on the head. Inflammation went down and energy levels went up. No more exercise intolerance and it built my muscles up too - I was aiming to eat enough protein for that.
Ah, glad you found a way to relieve the symptoms! The search continues for someone else with CAD. A case of being ‘rare’ not making you feel special or privileged in any way.