THE WEAVE:

…Mercury keeps reading,

from the soft

and heavy tome….

"CHAPTER XII

"You can't bring that
in Here," Pluto says,
as he points to the Ouija
board, under Persephone's arm.

She shivers in the doorWay
and pouts, "Why not?"
He reaches across the threshold,
tucking her hair behind

her ear, "You would be
busy, taking calls all
day, and I want you
to mySelf."  "Fine," Persephone

rolls her eyes, pretending
to be bothered by this. 
She places the toy on the doormat.
"May I come in?"  she asks, daintily.

"If you dare," Pluto shrugs.
"But first, I want to show you
my favorite tree,"  he says
as he brushes past her,

walking out the door
and over to it.  "I have
never seen a Holly grow
larger than a bush, except

for this one Here," he remarks
as he pats it.  Its trunk
holds an empty oval, wHere
the branches parted, and grew back

together again.  Persephone
places her foot in the hollow
space, and climbs high.
She hugs a branch

and closes her eyes,
"It is a good tree,"
she sighs, as she opens
one, to look down on him.

He beams.  "The Celts believed
the Holly sheltered Faeries
from the cold.  Do you agree?"
he asks her.  "I feel," she says,

"at home Here."
"They say the Holly is
a Lucky tree," he adds.
She waivers,  "Are you

sure it works?" 
He smiles, "You are
Here, with me,
are you not?"