The Mermaid and the Man…..A Spinning Yarn in Short Lines.
Salt water from the Seven Seas licked at the towering rock
And there the mermaid sat
Her seaweed eyes towards the endless sky…light glistening on her tawny hair
…salt on her lips and brow…sun on her skin.
Hers was the beauty of a stalking cat..
…a Bird of Paradise…a timeless Sphinx..
But she was Mistress of the Deep …a female spirit of fresh seas
Unconquered by the waves.
He fell in love with her…the man who came each day
To watch her lift up on her scaly tail …dive deep into frothy play,
Emerge again and smile to him… ..come swim with me ….she seemed to say
I cannot swim…. He said.
Come live me instead….I’ll give you everything
You need and more…come come my lovely creature of the sea
Come live with me…
Each day he begged her more…
She eyed the handsome youth …he shone such love on her
She was beguiled…and made a deal with him.
I’ll be with you six days a week …but on the seventh I must go
Back to the sea again…be free …no questions asked…Do you agree ?
I do… I do…he concurred eagerly…
The 7th day you shall be free..
And I will wait for you….and never ask where you have been.
She left the rocks …the moving tide , to join him High on Hill
He made a pool for her..tho’ flat and still…it suited her quite well
And for six days a week they lived as man and wife
In happiness…
…but always she was drawn to go
To leave him on the 7th day.. be free…to swim…
The Man accepted this…at first…but as time passed he felt dissatisfied.
Where did she go ?…what did she do..?…why would she never answer this ?
And he began to change..dark moods grew up in him
With furrowed brow he’d make demands of her…he had to know
And take control of her…for after all …she was HIS lovely wife
Each part of her..…His.
The Mermaid now grew sad and pale…she felt life slowly drain from her
And though she loved the man..… she loved herself as well…
She did not want to lose her.
The Man grew more morose…he could not help himself…
And finally he said that she must never leave the Hill !
Forget the 7th day…forget the calling of the sea !
The Mermaid did as she was bade…
No longer was there salt and sun upon her skin
No longer seaweed in her hair…her body slumped into a languid thing
And all that he had loved of her… was gone.
One day …the Mermaid left…she dived back into life
She dived into the sea…
He watched her go …he saw her on the rock again
And loved her best that way.
And she was happy….free.
Kristine Byrne (written in 40 mins on 23rd Oct.2014..so it is sort of 1st Draft…might change a bit)
Painting by J.W. Waterhouse.