Lines from Kennebec County

I wish that I had grown up by the sea,
That storm-tossed waves had been my lullabye.
Those billows would have taught me to be free,
And from the sea-birds I’d have learned to fly.
I might have watched the sailboats drift along
And known they housed some captain’s scurvy crew.
I might have caught a mermaid’s golden song,
Then piped it back into the cloud-strewn blue.
I could have even faced the greatest wave
Leviathan could have flicked from his tail,
And when held under, still would have been brave
‘Til washed up on the shore, all wreathed in kale.
But living by the pond was just as well;
I’ve never stung my foot upon a shell.

Author's Note

I have a love/hate relationship with this poem. Something about it just doesn't feel right, but I can't put my finger on it. Does it sound cliche or not?