Adaptations

for my niece who loves the story of the little mermaid.....

Breaching the surface,
blurring fact and fable.
Innocence washed upon the shore.

And though her gray-eyed mother wept,
wrecking sadness upon the reef.
Good-bye waves kissed fin to foot,
The transformation now complete.

Giving up three hundred years,
for the love of a mortal man.
Blades cutting soul from flesh,
all in order to but stand.

As mute as sea stars burning bright,
beneath the summer sands.
Belief in something other than self,
to give with an open hand.

Would that it were so simple,
to love without a doubt.
To cast fear upon the swell,
and let it drown in Tritons mouth.

Or shall I sit upon a rock,
bronzed for all to see.
Wishing for what could have been,
somewhere between you and me.

Reviews

[Devons]

I searched in vain to find a piece amongst your work which doesn't utilize classical allusions somewhere. This poem only contains one. Pity it contains any. However, it doesn't spoil the enjoyment of the work. It is a soft and tender portrait of love and sacrifice which has a somewhat metaphorical and parabolic nature as a message: to take a risk on love and life or to remain safe and left longing for what could have been. It is a quandary that faces all of us at some time in our lives.
"Belief in something other than self
to give with an open hand"
...Very philosophical words, and sagaciously conceived. A worthy piece of poetry - classical allusion notwithstanding!

[Dane Osborne]

As mute as sea stars burning bright,
beneath the summer sands.
Belief in something other than self,
to give with an open hand.

Masterfully written with an amazing yet simple flow. A great meditation on the conflicts between desire and reality, hope and doubt. Bravo ma'am bravo.100/100

[the_stoic]

the image that you have provided helped me a lot in understanding the context of this poem .. ah ! the beautiful mermaid lamenting as she remembers her forlorn love ... beautiful write