Her name was Piper
Before the sea swallowed her
She lived in a humble cottage by the river with her mother
Who wore skirts made from old sails and hair wraps that once were fish nets
Moni asked her to marry him
Beneath the waxing crescent moon
She said yes and looked forward to a quiet future
In another humble cottage
Wearing skirts made from old sails
And fish net hair wraps
All of that seemed like a lifetime ago, not a fortnight
As the sea embraced her beneath the full moon
Welcomed her to a new life
Where air is liquid
And tears hide in the brine of breath
Where souls have many arms
And sounds are felt more than heard
Where light is not fire
And flashes are not falling stars
And “I love you” does not exist
There is no I or you
We are one
In the sea
Of the sea
She is we
Her name but a faded memory
BIO: New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis is a princess, storm chaser, and adventurer. She has authored over 20 books and 40 short stories, including AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First (Candlewick), Enchanted (HMH) and Prince Phillip’s Birthday Waltz (Disney). Alethea is the recipient of the Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Grant, the Scribe Award, the Garden State Teen Book Award, and two-time winner of the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award. She has been twice nominated for both the Andre Norton Nebula and the Dragon Award. She was an active contributor to The Fireside Sessions, a benefit EP created by Snow Patrol and her fellow Saturday Songwriters in 2020. Alethea also narrates stories for multiple award-winning online magazines and contributes book reviews to NPR. Born in Vermont, she currently resides on the Space Coast of Florida with her teddy bear, Charlie. Find out more about Princess Alethea at aletheakontis.com