Sirens

Cover my face completely, obscuring it from their hypnotic gaze; they must not recognise me.

Seal my ears with beeswax so that no sound, however exquisite, can penetrate and weaken me.

Fill my mouth with strong mint so that their sweet flavours cannot whet my appetite and make me hunger for them.

Block all vision from my eyes with bands of silk so that no image can slither beneath my lids and bewitch me.

Swaddle me securely in bolts of linen so that I am numb to their touch, immune to soft caresses.

Allow me only the meanest trickle of air to keep my breath alive.

Then, in my cocoon, lash me to the mast and set me adrift.