Beware the Siren's Song

- The wind gave breath to sack and sail;

The sky held not a cloud.

The sun was bright; the air was stale -

The sea a still, blue shroud.

- Wood creaked and cracked upon the ship,

Berated by the sea.

The wheel was steadfast in his grip;

What a proud captain was he.

- The crew cleaned and milled about the deck,

Keeping everything in it's place;

The seagulls fluttered, cawed, and pecked

Over the water's solemn face.

- Day turned into stormy night

As lightning struck hard and fast.

The ocean was a raging sight,

Growing taller than the mast.

- The men cried out in anxiousness

For the captain to gain control;

The captain displayed a courageousness

That captured a hidden soul.

- In the midst of the pouring rain,

One of the men gave a shout.

A hand was on the anchor chain;

From the water she came right out.

- Seaweed hair and sea-blue skin

And eyes that matched the waves

Were the makings of the woman

That captured the hearts of these knaves.

- Her claws gripped the wooden floor;

Her tail hung over the side.

They thought she was a maiden of lore -

A myth told by the tide.

- But real she was, and there she perched;

Her lips let loose a hum.

As the great ship rocked and lurched,

The crew, to the maiden, succumbed.

- One by one, the men crossed the ship,

Anxious to be in her arms,

But once they neared, fangs crossed her lip;

They were fooled by the maiden's charms.

- The whole crew fell, slain in that storm;

She saved the captain for last.

She kissed him and watched as he transformed;

They mated in that overcast.

- Into the sea they disappeared;

The ship all but forgotten.

The one had come that all men feared -

The one that leaves them rotten.

- Listen close... listen well... listen to everything:

Now all night long

The dead men sing,

"Beware the siren's song."