Shivani Chatterjee - The Wail of a Siren
460 Words
Splash!
And another sailor jumps overboard.
The moonlit waves toss him like a ragdoll; the rocky shore mangles his limbs.
My soul turns the color of his blood
As he paints the ocean red.
His body will sink into the navy-blue depths,
The frothy white surf is soon to be the sole trace of his existence.
I can’t help what I am. I can’t help my thirst for a man’s blood;
As ship upon ship sail close to the Island of the Sirens,
My unquenched thirst lights me up like red-hot flames.
I am bound in servitude to my lineage,
A lineage of tortured souls whose only respite is taking a life.
I do not want to be this way, I didn’t choose to be a murderer.
But my voice is its own master, and it listens to none.
Slowly at first, I feel a warm tickle at my heart,
And I open my mouth as sweet, sweet music pours out.
It feels good, this warmth in my heart,
And the men stop what they’re doing and listen.
The smarter among them cover their ears.
The fire is getting hotter, and it’s spreading through my body;
A creature of the water! I feel like I’m consumed in flames!
And as the pain worsens, my cries get higher and clearer
And the sailors crane their necks to hear more.
More, more, more. I sound beautiful, I am beautiful,
I am enchanting, alluring … a monster.
Deep inside lives a scared little girl
Innocent, pure. Lonely.
Each time a sailor plunges into the navy and white, she dies a little;
All she ever wanted was love.
A snake is not evil for it bites
A scorpion not cruel for it stings
It is their nature to wound, to hurt.
It is my nature to sing.
Now I see him, the captain of the ship!
The leader of his sailors, the man in navy and white.
The pale blue light of the moon illuminates his chestnut hair.
He bites his lip, concentration carving lines in his face
As he tries to ignore my haunting song.
He knows what happens to men like him,
Led astray, lured to death.
Captain, you deserve to live!
My voice overpowers the little girl within.
It is a plaintive, melodious cry of passion, of desperation.
It’s irresistible. He cannot help but listen—
But I do not want to see him die!
Captain! Turn back!
Captain, come closer …
Captain, cover your ears!
Captain, listen to me …
For a moment our eyes meet,
And the man in navy and white removes his hands from his ears.
Stop! Don’t listen to me!
But my voice does not obey me, and my song carries pain my heart cannot bear.
The fire within sparks up and scorches my soul
As I lie glowing on the shore.
My song is the wail of an anguished heart,
For beneath the lustrous, shimmering waves
Lies darkness.
Captain, what are you doing?
I am devoured by the flames as they pour out of my eyes.
He walks towards the railing.
Captain, don’t do it!
It’s inevitable.
Splash.
- Writer
