SIREN

She was flawless in the deepest sea
White starfish; glad companions
Reflected in her smiling eyes

Quite frankly she hadn’t expected this

But when she heard it coming
Desire splashed its golden colours
And she danced in water
Wanting
The boat to be overturned
The waves to bear him down to her
This skinny king
Of the material world

How absurd
That she could risk the sun’s swift spill,
Hour by hour,
Single sum of fire on her naked rose-fleshed arms
If only she could hold him in her heart
Like bubbly blood

She filled the voids of oceans with the sweetness of her song
Luring lost fishermen in a chaos of their own
Adoring what could never be adored;
His beady eyes
Shrewd auspices of treasure glowed.

When he’d predicted her as fragile
Whispered to be strapped so tight
Upon a mast
Flaying with fright
And sure enough his cries were heard from far and wide

The sugary hoarseness of her voice
He’d longed to feel
Though he’d passed the space she breathed
In liquid mist;
Towards his island, bright,
His woman
Waiting
Praying each hopeless night.



Myths
Before she’d known his face;
His skin,
Siren sung sweet
Siren felt sane.

Sailors since have been devoured
For her song had reached a power
None could resist
To taste
Though sour;

Soaked in his silhouette; his skeletal stardom


Each ship that sinks
Surrenders all:
None that matters
Bodies in sea water
Coil and clatter.