Persephone Ascending

I was young with winter in my mouth too soft for the hands that dragged me down I wore my silence like a stone in my chest smiled for the living buried the rest Every door had a shadow every prayer left a bruise I was losing my shape I had nothing to lose But the deep has teeth and the deep can teach when the floor gives way you learn what claws can reach I went down, down, down where the angels don’t go where the dirt fills your lungs and the river runs cold I broke hard I burned slow I cursed every god by name But the dark didn’t kill me it carved me out of flame Do not call it beautiful the hell I survived don’t dress pain in gold like it made me alive It was ugly it was brutal it was blood on the floor but I crawled through the wreckage and came back with more More bite in my voice more steel in my spine more fire in the places they thought I would die They wanted a ghost with her eyes cast down but fuck that crown I am standing now I went down, down, down where the angels don’t go where the dirt fills your lungs and the river runs cold I broke hard I burned slow I cursed every god by name But the dark didn’t kill me it carved me out of flame I came up, up, up with the night in my hands with a scar for a compass and blood in the sand I am not what they wanted I am not who I was I am the storm after silence I am the girl who got up I was young with winter in my mouth now I sing from the ruins and I don’t bow down