Siren's Song by Simon Kaeppeli
I wait for you
beneath the waves
a darkened sky
my shelter
your vessel cuts
across the sea
a different world
above
as water crashes
against the cliffs
from the foam
I emerge to sing
alluring
as my voice may be
my embrace
brings but pain and death
your lifeless, still body
rests against my chest
together we drift
below
Bio
Simon Kaeppeli is a scientist and writer. His work has appeared in Better Than Starbucks, Spark to Flame, 50-Word Stories, Down in the Dirt, and Discretionary Love, among others. He recently moved to Scotland with his two senior cats.
Author's note
I have always been fascinated with different portrayals of sirens in Greek mythology and modern depictions. I interpreted the siren as more of a lurking predator than a languid seductress for this poem. While the words themselves may still invoke the image of the classical siren, I used short line lengths to make the poem progress quickly, reminiscent of fast and unpredictably moving ocean waves. I think of sirens as both laying in wait for their prey while hiding from a world that is as alien to them as theirs is to us.
