Sunday, January 18, 2009

Mermaids Among Us

The next generation of women was born
with feet like eggplants.
They married men of the Soil, had
a child born of the Earth and they
stood on the chilly plains with lean legs.

Yet in the moonlight, their blood
ebbed and flowed with the sea.
Their tears were like salty jewels.
They didn’t know why they craved
the sonorous music of blue oceans,
the flavor of green kelp and
the sage teachings of the dolphins.

They adorned themselves with coral
and shells, yet felt empty.
“This is absurd,” they reminded themselves
secretly.

With feet planted on the still and dry ground,
they hid this story deep inside.
They gave generously to the Earth and divided themselves
to attend the needs of the Soil.

In their dreams, they heard the call of the Ocean.
Their legs returned to their natural state, and
they flipped, jumped and warmed their souls in waters
caressed by the moon.

Inspired by “A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids” by Margot Datz

1 comment:

Indigo B. said...

Side Note: This poem won Honorary Mention at 29Gifts.org's Refrigerator Poem Contest.