The Pleiades

The Pleiades

Seven beacons,

gatekeepers of darkness and dawn,

earth and moon, hot and blue,

sun and sea. So many tales

spun from their light. Some say

they craved death. Some say

they were doves before they found

their place in the firmament.

Stalked, they sought refuge

in transformation; even being

the daughters of a Titan

did not spare them. Now,

hardly anyone remembers

their names, known chiefly

for their usefulness to men,

individuality lost. Falling in love

caused one to fade, shamed

for her mortal failings.

Lauren Scharhag

Lauren Scharhag is an award-winning writer of fiction and poetry. She is the author of Under Julia, The Ice Dragon, The Winter Prince, West Side Girl & Other Poems, and the co-author of The Order of the Four Sons series. Her poems and short stories have appeared in over eighty journals and anthologies, including Voice of Eve, Isacoustic, The American Journal of Poetry, and Gambling the Aisle. She lives in Kansas City, MO. To learn more about her work, visit: www.laurenscharhag.blogspot.com