The Third Fall of Lorelei
Perched on a stony gray shore I await
The next wayward sailors; I decree their fate
From the lofty Rhine cliffs did I long ago fall
Now passersby answer my beckoning call
Though hardy they be, my song is yet stronger
My melodies sweet, my endurance longer
Through deepest of waters they rarely shall pass
Once caught in my spell their soul is held fast
For, betrayed by my only true love, I avenge
By stealing dear lads from their lovers and friends
The vessel I see on high wind does approach
Threatening the reef 'neath my feet to encroach
The better for me to draw near weary men
Who once resting their heads will not venture again
But, lo, what is this that I see at the helm?
A man whose possession would rule any realm
The fire that alights me has so permeated
The fury is gone that I once would have meted
Instead, I desire the strength of his arms
The taste of his lips and the wealth of his charms
It is puzzling, 'tis true, my unlikely behavior
Still, somehow I know that this man is my savior
As I depart from the shoreline and swim for the bow
I am drawn by the call of his siren song now
Copyright, Donna Golden, 1999. Revised, January, 2009.
This poem was inspired by "Die Lorelei", by Heinrich Heine, which was, itself, based on the
German legend of a siren that lured sailors to their doom on the banks of the Rhine river.
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