Farah Ali
Siren Song
An ethereal moan rises, spreading across the clifftop. I freeze. Unnerved but curious, I drop my backpack, suppress my fear of heights, and crawl toward the edge. Clutching tufts of prickly grass, I take a deep breath and peer down at a pod of seals, bundles of white fur on the shingled shoreline. Their huge, liquid eyes yearn for their mother’s head to surface, for the comfort of her nutrition. Their haunting melody spreads across the violet sky, lamenting the waves as if the submerged sun is breaking their pinniped hearts. I listen, listen, until a seabird’s cry breaks the spell. Mournful, disembodied chords follow me home. It is a long time before I realise my hair is matted and I can taste salt on my lips.
midnight stars above the empty crib a mobile slowly turns
About the Author
Farah Ali writes fiction and poetry with a particular love for the short form. She has been published, and has upcoming publications, in a variety of reputable online and print journals. Her supernatural Deerleap Hollow Series is available from Amazon.