Student Poem:
Sirens

Do not look at the darkness overmuch;
Your mind and heart unwitting it will clutch. 
Do not gaze at it, even in your fear, 
Or horror, anger, shedding many tears. 
Reactions such as these spring from a soul 
Which loathes when bells their somber tidings toll, 
And rightly so, for who can love the night? 
The ones who on it spend their precious sight. 
For darkness hides within the subtle lie 
That Truth is here which you cannot deny. 
It cannot feign the Good or Beautiful,
With ugly means and evil as the goal,
But it may lie and call itself the True,
The Way Things Are, and sin’s appointed due. 
“We must face facts: before our very eyes 
The Dark Lord’s hosts and companies arise. 
We must gaze in the Palantir to see
If stands or falls the withering white tree!” 
But Facts o’erthrew the mind of Denethor,
Whom Sauron broke behind his bolted door,
For Information does implant a Form– 
Of God inside the boat, or just the storm? 
And Facts are heralds of the great decree– 
Of Love and Life or bloodless Destiny? 
The darkness lies, the darkness does not care,
“In truth” the darkness leads to dark despair! 
The sirens call, arresting with their voice, 
The flashing lights, the tempting, shocking poise,
“Just listen to the story we will tell, 
Just think of how the world will go to hell–” 
Upon the rocks your spirit-ship will dash: 
Your fear for Aslan caught you serving Tash.
But Christus Victor crushed the serpent’s head;
You serve the living God, not idols dead. 
While all the world despaired, He harrowed hell,
Just listen to the story He will tell: 
“The news of siren songs will come untrue; 
Behold, I come to make creation new; 
All things you love I loved despite the cost;
I will not suffer good things to be lost. 
I will not mock the longing of your soul, 
But with My bread and wine, I’ll make you whole. 
If what you hear seems too good to be true,
You may have found the plans I have for you.” 
So gaze not at the dark, but Him instead, 
And mark the law of peace upon your head, 
Whatever is not like Him is not true, 
The Lamb of God who came to die for you.

One of our CLT alumnæ contributors to the Journal, Autumn Kennedy is from Cincinnati OH, and currently attending New College Franklin in Tennessee. She loves big ideas, fairy-tales, dance, and driving with the windows down.

If you enjoyed this piece, Miss Kennedy has published an essay and five further poems through the Journal, all of which you can find here; you might also like posts published here by other CLT students, like this Texas student’s analysis of the character of Brutus in Julius Cæsar, this Virginia student’s essay on the criminal justice system, or this Marylander’s profile of the life and legacy of Jonathan Edwards. Student essays have long been a staple of the Journal, and submissions are welcome. Thank you for reading, and have a great weekend.

Published on 14th March, 2025. Page image of Ulysses and the Sirens (1891) by John William Waterhouse; according to the myth the painting depicts, the crew had their ears plugged, while the hero himself made do with being tied to the mast of the ship to resist the allure of the sirens.