The Island Poem by Jemma Divanis

I saw the island in my dream & woke to find it there
I ran my fingers through the sand & danced without a care
I spent the day collecting shells and thought I glimpsed a face
The sun was playing tricks on me, what could hurt me in this place

The days were long & occupied with catching fish to eat
The sea was clear and tempting as it lapped around my feet
The flowers smelt like cinnamon, the sky was blue & fair
I never gave a second thought to what was waiting there

It hunts me in the shadows
It haunts me in the light
I gave myself too freely
I betrayed myself that night

At first I liked the solitude; but days turned into weeks
Just as the loneliness crept in; he rose up from the sea
I thought he was a merman, an angel from the deep
But demons hide their shiny scales from mortals when they feed

His words were honey to a bee, I fell for every tale
He left me every morning, returning each night without fail
My questions found no answers; my tears were met with rage
Now this island is my prison, I’m a songbird in a cage

It hunts me in the shadows
It haunts me in the light
I gave myself too freely
I betrayed myself that night