The lifeless, beautiful soul of a luckless ghoul,

tethered by a cord with the grip of a furious madman, 

found itself sucked into a whirlpool of death

by the twisted remains of a monster that screamed in helpless sorrow

as it sank to the depths of depravity.

In life, the ghoul clawed through darkness and whispered a watery tortured prayer

but nothing in these depths would bleed daylight.

Anything not saved is forever lost to the dark 

and unforgiving lament of a vengeful demon.

Freed far too late from the twisted tail of the gruesome whale of steel,

tainted treacle and vice, the corpse soared heavenward 

telling the tale of a tragic madness,

its rubbery limbs and loose head flailing helplessly on a broken neck,

its hair embracing the water in a fan of morbid yet undeniable beauty.

The sea wept and hid its face in shame as it gave up its dead,

 polluted as it was with the oily evidence of avarice 

and an unabashed acceptance of greed and sacrifice of all that is precious. 

The innocent are always punished for the sins of the guilty.

Listen, listen.

It will happen again.

…

Lisa Lahey has been published in several literary magazines including  34th Parallel, The Pink Hydra, Spadina Literary Review, The Adelaide Review and others.