Poetry: 'Haiku for Odysseus' by Marc Woodward

Odysseus was
strapped to his mast in torment.
Butes dived in to swim

but Aphrodite
rescued him. I cannot hope
for such kind mercy.

So fill up my ears
with the beeswax of TV;
dumb me down with tea,

save me from notions
fancifully tempting me
from other oceans.

Draw the curtains close,
think about work tomorrow:
then upstairs to bed.

Locked inside at night,
safe from rivers of blue lights,
sirens in my head.