The Siren's Lament
By Carmina Gitana
The first time I saw you,
they had tied you to the mast
and you
were raving like a sun-struck lunatic.
Your face was red, and you
were sweating,
stripped to the waist
like a slave or a lover.
I called out to you.
I couldn't help it.
I cried loneliness,
and longing,
and lust.
I sang
as though I'd sing
you free,
sing you safe,
sing you to me.
You strained
against the ropes
like a madman. The ropes knew better, biting
indifferently into your flesh. I saw
the red drops welling up
on your slick, sunburnt skin.
You roared in pain, and frustrated
desire,
and I was almost close enough to touch you
but I could
only watch
from my sexless perch
on the salty cliffs
of solitude.
It was never my choice
to sing such deadly
love songs,
such final lullabies.
It isn't my fault
that
I was made this way,
that every time I weep
or speak a wish,
men die
before I finish talking.
I'd rather have a
conversation
than a conquest.
I'd rather have a courtship
than another corpse.
All those beautiful boys
made beautiful
bones.
None made
a decent lover.
I hear you made it
home.
I hear your woman wove you back to her
like a patient
spider.
I am patient too.
I sit upon my rocky throne.
I
braid my hair and unbraid it.
I claim a kill, still,
now and
then.
I wait for you.
You will return.
Awards
Comments on "The Siren's Lament"
-
On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, Nimue44
(296) wrote:
This describes the waiting of a lover that has almost gave up, and I identify with this on so many levels. Thank you.
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A former member wrote:
how i weep in the wake of this and my own wait.......... my heart has such love and admiration for you, dear lady. you are stellar always.
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A former member wrote:
I fucking loved this. There is nothing else to say. Thank you, much love
~Rich
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On Saturday, September 8, 2012, archangelmichael
(10) wrote:
Emotions run high, someone dies, and love continues to wait. At least thats what I get when I read this, and love it.
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A former member wrote:
Well fuck me sideways. I loved this! Folding out perfectly, I could even make out the other parts of the story in your pen, mind, hand thing. The part about the Lotus Eaters flowed through me as well, while reading this. Well done, these wisps of longing.
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On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, FadedBlues
(2168) wrote:
..very cool...and the wisdom at the end: knowing that sailors never foresake the sea...
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On Monday, April 30, 2012, OLd SouL
(732) wrote:
Reminds me of P.Rothfuss' Felurian. She just couldn't help her nature. "All those beautiful boys made beautiful bones".. nicely done.
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On Sunday, April 29, 2012, dwells
(4284) wrote:
The siren sounds quite sure of herself and must definitely know the hearts of men, great poem, pass out the ear plugs (HA)! Thanks Carmina
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On Sunday, April 29, 2012, Carmina Gitana
(149) wrote:
This story could have NEVER worked in our age of the ubiquitous iPod :)