Self Portrait Challenge

It is winter here:
the descent of the Goddess Persephone into the underbelly of the Earth, reuniting with her lover Hades. The story makes sense in the changes here, down in the Southern Alps, but not so much in the year-round tropics of my birthplace..
I was born in a town 2000 kilometres north of here - a town named by the Roman's name for the Goddess - Proserpine.
Born in the land of Persephone under the sign of Scorpio, choosing to pair with another Scorpio ~ welcome to the landscape of a woman on the discovery for the deep.

It is winter here:
watching the Poplar leaves turn yellow gold
the Manchurian Pear leaves a brilliant, ruby red,
then finally, they are all gone.

Only the release of disintegrating leaves,,
and bare limbs, naked and strong.
Can I learn the lessons of the trees?

Outside at night, we beckon to the moon,
planting our feet into the frozen earth,
the winter breath wind coursing past us and through us.

Only Mother Earth can teach us
such a gift as this:
That life is flow:
a constant, round river,
of leaves colouring, falling, sleeping, awakening,
bursting into bloom once more.
of leaves colouring, falling, sleeping, awakening,
bursting into bloom once more.

She changes every thing she touches,
Everything she touches changes.

May I know the wisdom and clarity
to breathe through the breath,
to love what is here
and be a part of the change.

With love,
Leonie

~ More Self Portraiters in their environment here.