Among the Sea

The only place that I could be
I dream of it night and day
To be swirling in the sea
and so long I would play
But for now I'm in the lake
a pond-pearl maiden small
but I stay dreaming of the sea
and the creatures that call

I heard the mermaids in the sea
They sing with golden throats
Make friends with the dolphins
and wear green seaweed coats;
In my lake we have small tails
Drab colors of Earth nearby
The sea queens have violets
Oranges, blues, hues I'd choose
Instead of my dull copper hair
I still say that it isn't fair
that I can't be among the sea
the only place that I could be

Quietly I plan to journey to the waters
far from my own, home of sea-daughters
who wear peach conch shell earrings
opaline pendants 'round their gilled necks
and gold-crusted shark tooth rings

In the still of night I swim fast and steady
Down into the dark cold delta, I'm ready
My venture is long, I don't count the days
I found myself getting lost in the maze
until the salt stung my ears and lips
the waves crashing into thunderous rips

Mermaid sisters welcomed me there
they took my hand and combed my hair
a pair of jingle shell earrings for me
and a chance to meet the merman king
And I came to live among them then
Wondrous pillars in dazzling halls
it was a joyous short time to see
but a message in a bottle came to me
written by my lake-maid family

As I began my journey back
Winter had come strong and fast
Taken strong by the snow's blast,
I crumpled under nature's attack
Washed up and wrecked
my hands can't feel anymore
It was on that jagged shore
crest of pebbled sea floor
Droplets dance in my vision
and fall like a heavy teardrop
To be among the sea again
to make the freezing stop