Antaea
Leslie Schultz
Like Alice falling toward the earth's core,
this kore floats past Euclidean green
windows backed with brown. With her
tumbles all she needs, five acorns
for winter, five acorns to tuck under the frost.
No. She is not floating but stretched asleep
in front of the blazing fire, the net
of the hearth rug rocking her dreams,
the empty cradle breaking her fall. Her arms
are full, the right one slung over the neck
of a watchful leopard cub, the left
holding onto her disk of woven hope.
Sister to famous myth,
her very sleep is prosperous. Pressed
next to the earth she gains fruits, grains,
coins, dreams, and good weather. Antaea,
she is provided with even the empty cradle
and all the time in the world.
leslie Schultz
Leslie Schultz (Northfield, Minnesota www.winonamedia.net) has six collections of poetry, and has published widely, including in Able Muse, Blue Unicorn, Hawaii Pacific Review, Light, Mezzo Cammin, MockingHeart Review, Naugatuck River Review, North Dakota Quarterly, One Art, Pensive, Poet Lore, Poetic Strokes Anthology, Sangam, Third Wednesday, Tipton Poetry Journal, The Madison Review, The Midwest Quarterly, The Orchards, The Wayfarer, and Tipton Poetry Review. She serves as a judge for the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest. She likes to make quilts and soups and muck about in a garden plagued by black walnuts.