teeth all the way down

Now, here is a woman who conquers.

She bites into you,

human iron pouring down her chin,

carving herself into your subconscious.

She will consume you while you gaze upon her,

spinning and sparkling, reaching the sky before the sun begins his shine.

That is her gift.

Above the quiet button-like clatter of her churning whirlpool of teeth,

her lips form words you can't understand but know you don't want to hear.

She speaks only to you,

salt-laden body curving into the hull of your ship;

tonight, you are the wind that spins her up.

She is crashing destruction, endless consumption,

and you will lose yourself

only to her.

---

This is a piece from my collection of Greek mythology retellings, Turning and Turning.

Who’s Who: This prose-poem centers Charybdis, legendary monster from Greek mythology, most notably as a major antagonistic force Odysseus had to face/defeat on his lengthy journey back to Ithaca in The Odyssey. She is described by various sources as a whirlpool made of teeth. Ancient sources vary in her description. Some say she’s literally made of a whirlpool of teeth, others that she, in Zeus’ anger, was cast into the sea and chained to the sea-bed beneath the waves, her whirlpool a mere reflection of her rage. For this interpretation, I combined the two origins together. I hope you all like this one!