{"id":452,"date":"2025-10-06T20:43:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T01:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/?p=452"},"modified":"2025-10-06T20:43:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T01:43:42","slug":"sirens-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/10\/06\/sirens-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Siren’s Call"},"content":{"rendered":"

This one\u2019s a little darker than my usual. Something I wrote from the perspective one of the characters in my stories. Note: Literal Siren<\/em><\/p>\n

Honey sweet and sliding scales, chains of music in my mind.
\nNo salty breath or flashing tails just courtesy and wine.
\nEvery word a melody, every smile a song.
\nA whispered word drowning me, removed all sense of wrong.<\/p>\n

A noble night still must give way, to the persistent, subtle voice,
\nEach thought once more stripped away, until nothing\u2019s left of choice.
\nThree days of hell in heaven\u2019s robes, a cage of stolen power.
\nEach resistance: another probe, leading to her bower.<\/p>\n

A death made sweeter with a touch, the body of her song
\nWill and virtue shield not much, and honor forced to pawn.
\nYet still there held a core of might, that held until the dawn,
\nThough in the slowness of the night, the slow death wandered on.<\/p>\n

When the dawning came once more, mind and will were slaves
\nAnd body followed through the door, to the waiting waves.
\nBut even there at bleakest end, I was not alone.
\nA brother rode to defend, and found me in her home.<\/p>\n

My power raised to her defense, though I would not strike him down,
\nHis magic shattered her pretense, and our battle raged around.
\nHer patience thinned and her voice rang out, a single fateful cry:
\nKill your brother, the command sang out, and I prepared to die.<\/p>\n

My staff slid from my trembling hand, I could not obey.
\nAnd waited for death\u2019s blow to land, and could not look away.
\nMy brother reeled, but did not fall, not even to that voice,
\nAnd drove his sword in fury\u2019s call, through the heart that stole my choice.<\/p>\n

He wrapped me in my cloak and his, and left her cold and dead
\nAnd helped me to my feet again, when he had claimed her head.
\nThough clouded thoughts hung heavily in all my weary heart
\nA brother\u2019s love had rescued me from the Siren\u2019s art.<\/p>\n

Siren\u2019s Call<\/em> copyright \u00a9 Heather Strickler 2025 all rights reserved<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This one\u2019s a little darker than my usual. Something I wrote from the perspective one of the characters in my stories. Note: Literal Siren Honey sweet and sliding scales, chains of music in my mind. No salty breath or flashing tails just courtesy and wine. Every word a melody, every smile a song. A whispered… Read More Siren’s Call<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14,13],"tags":[27,20,11,17,25],"class_list":["post-452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry","category-writing","tag-chiaroscuro","tag-mood","tag-poetry","tag-story","tag-wonder"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Siren-Call.jpg?fit=600%2C600","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/parUcj-7i","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":516,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/12\/19\/wardens-song\/","url_meta":{"origin":452,"position":0},"title":"Warden’s Song","author":"Heather","date":"December 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This is set to a jauntier tune in my head than perhaps it should be. In any event I hope you enjoy this little monster hunting song. The foe is waiting for us and we shall track him down Before he brings his terrors to another simple town. Ride we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wardens-Song.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wardens-Song.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Wardens-Song.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":507,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/12\/08\/blade-of-dawn\/","url_meta":{"origin":452,"position":1},"title":"Blade of Dawn","author":"Heather","date":"December 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A little mythology from one of my worlds. I hope you enjoy. 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I come to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sea-Song.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sea-Song.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sea-Song.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":504,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/12\/05\/unspin-the-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":452,"position":3},"title":"Unspin the Light","author":"Heather","date":"December 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A bit of hope for your day. Unspin the light into the sky. Raise your voices far and nigh. 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