Monday, July 2

To My Mermaids

Don’t be scared of mischievous night. From inside, the slap
Of punishing waves is quiet, weak. You may be jostled but you won’t rock
Regardless of intent, it is nothing. Sway with it, isn’t it nurturing? Angry gusts
Gather power beneath dark clouds, but look, they are merely hints of wild
And soon the coddling brightness will come. The illuminating glare
Of the emerging sun. It’s impossible

Of course it’s impossible
And so absolutely wonderful, you see, I say, and I slap
My glittering tail against the surface of the water, shattering the glare
Into tiny diamonds that scatter across the sea. Secure against the warmth of my rock
Salty queen of all I see, my kingdom is wild
Tossed before me, dancing with surly gusts

Out at sea a tightly wrapped sail escapes its night cocoon, billows out and gusts
Uncontrollable, like my hair, seaweed strewn and impossible
Why try to tame the wind? Let go. Its ok for your eyes to blur and your hair to go wild
For always the soft yellow sun will attempt to bring peace, to silence the slap
Of salty air, demand obedience, for it favors those who are rock
Solid and predictable. It colors even the waves with its orange glare

But only temporarily. So sweet child, I beg you to close your eyes to the glare
Turn your back to feel the support of blustering gusts
Join your voice to the wind, sing with dolphins from your throne of jagged rock
There are those who may try to set you straight, shield you from the impossible
But cling fast to your dreams, the ones that beg to be mocked, present a stinging slap
To the face of distasteful reality. The face that scorns things wonderful and wild

I will tell such tales to my children, stories of places where the wild
Things go, where anything goes. Give them power to silence nay-sayers with a glare
For every now and then don’t we all need a refreshing slap
To remind us that limiting rules offer nothing but limits, reality blows gusts
That whine of what can’t be done and whimpers of what is impossible
Let my children defy it, deny that world. I’ll give them the boat, teach them to rock

To stand astride, arms thrown akimbo as stones fall and rock
Walls crumble to dust. Intimidate with no more than a willingness to dream, wild
Thoughts shine from bright eyes. Don’t you dare say “no, that’s impossible”
Peer around hidden corners and search within the blinding glare
Add fairy dust and sparkles to icy gusts
And watch: they deflate beneath the rainbow-dusted slap

What is impossible? Nothing my child for you will rock
This world. You will refuse the slap by daring to be wild
Head held high, glare. You are the one to conduct the gusts