By Vanessa Jae
The rod that was forced
into her fist at birth
hooks the monsters of the sea
to her reign.
She wraps its wire
around the necks of beasts
who mutilate her creatures
for their own selfish pleasures.
These mortals had turned
her home into a graveyard
of immortal souls
resigned to starvation.
On the ocean floor,
their bodies are collapsing
as she desperately
nurtures them back to life.
She feeds them
sacrifices from the surface:
the tongues of hunters
she mauled in vengeance.
© Copyright 2023 Vanessa Jae
About the Author
Vanessa Jae writes horrifically beautiful anarchies, reads stories for Apex Magazine and is poetry editor at Strange Horizons. She also collects black hoodies and bruises in mosh pits on Tuesday nights. To read tweets by interesting people follow her at @thevanessajae