Folklore Fridays: Liminal Herb

Persephone's back

"O, where are you going?" "To Scarborough fair,"
    [Parsley], sage, rosemary, and thyme;
"Remember me to a lass who lives there,
    For once she was a true love of mine.”

~from “Scarborough Faire”, a ballad or song that dates back to early-mid 17th century England.

Since the last four Folklore Fridays explored four different flowers, I thought it would be fun to explore the herbs listed above for the next four months.

Photo by Darren Richardson on Unsplash. Parsley is a liminal herb. I love that word. Like, really love it.

Parsley is described as hard to grow because of all the precautions you must take if you want to avoid causing death by planting it. I find it so interesting that parsley, like daisies, have such opposite links to death, both in their proximity to death and their so-called ability to prevent it.

The ending to this poem feels a little weak to me, so I’m putting it down as a practice in defying perfectionism. I hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and once again, I have Icy Sedgwick to thank for this poem’s inspiration!

Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash

Tuck it in widows, tuck it in doors;

Protect you from spirits wandering the moors.

Keep the herb handy, always take heed:

Parsley will keep you in your hour of need.

Growing down deep, reaching for hell,

Parsley stops death but seeks it as well.

Roots stretching wild to the queen of the dead

Persephone smiles her smile of blood red.

Liminal herb, humble and green,

gathering meaning, quiet unseen,

Parsley is hard to control and to grow,

Yet secrets it holds for those who would know.

©Stephanie Ascough, 2024