Siren

to Alexandra         

They started whirling the rumour I was a Monster

Swimming around me till I drank it

As it washed away the sea flowers in me

I became the Monster

Couldn’t lye on the rock among the others

Nor in the silvery foam

Anticipation drowned:

You wouldn’t get to me, trapped in the continuous storms of voices

I was the Monster

I would scare you

The high tide again

Brought another shipwreck

And out of the blue

Sinewy arms gently swimming

Rushed to reach my forgotten flowers

Your bronze caring creature

Met my eyes and hopes

While my hair was swinging with the waves

When you first held me

I killed the Monster

And saved myself

For us

SERENA PICCOLI (she/her) is an Italian poet and playwright who lives with her fiancée Alexandra, the two are trying to get married during the pandemic. She’s a transfeminist, a lesbian and a human rights activist. Her political chapbook of poems "silviotrump" was published in 2017 by Moria Poetry, Chicago, USA, part of Locofo Chaps, edited by Professor William Allegrezza. She writes both in English and in Italian. 15 of her poems are on placesofpoetry.org UK Poetry Map. You can find her on Twitter @piccoli_serena.