Scuttle After the Wedding

Scuttle, the seagull from "The Little Mermaid," misses Princess Ariel after her wedding. Dedicated to my own niecelet, Gopherscout.

My name, my friends„ is Scuttle Clifford Gull,
Or Scuttle C. Gull�"all the same to me.
Sometimes I contemplate (you could say “mull”)
My bachelor’s existence�"Wild and free;
.   However, can you see?
.   My life’s a little dull.

I’ve got some friends�"I’m grateful that they care.
They sometimes come to visit for a while…
I sit upon my rocky perch out there�"
We catch up on the gossip and we smile;
.   The visits to my isle,
.   More recently, are rare. 

Ahh, yes, I’m growing older, and I find
I miss companionship a lot. Ah, well!
I’m not complaining! I don’t really mind;
I miss one special kiddo, truth to tell:
.   The Princess Ariel,
.   So trusting and so kind…

I love her like a real uncle should;
She called me Uncle Scuttle�"lovely niece!
Yeah, we were Buddies! Close. Sometimes we would
Together watch the sun rise in the East,
.   Or laugh like silly geese.
.   I tell ya�"life was good.

But that was years ago; it’s different now.
We used to meet where ocean meets the sky,
When she was still a mermaid. She’d allow
Her Uncle Scuttle to identify
.   Her human relics�"I!
.   (Who’d never seen a cow)!

I didn’t want to disappoint the kid,
So for each item I produced a story; 
Made up a silly name. Oh, yes! I did.
Inaccurate, of course, these tales of glory.
.   From Flounder and from Dory
.   My shameful truth I hid.

I thought my secret safe�"I never guessed
That Ariel would trade her voice for feet,
And live on land, where she began to test
The truth of my descriptions. Oh! Complete
.   And swift was my defeat:
.   An arrow through my chest.

In short, she learned that all I’d said was lies.
Much more than losing face, I’d lost her trust,
And in my shame, I figured she’d despise
Her human-culture tutor, and she must
.   Assume her lesson’s thrust
.   Was: “Doubt a friend who flies.”

But I maintained a brave and smiling face.
I felt unworthy, wished that I was dead,
But if that mermaid minded my disgrace,
Or felt betrayed, the princess never said,
.   Or even shook her head!
.   And then… “Can I erase,

“Alleviate, reverse the harm I’ve done?“ 
I wondered. “I can help her win the Prince,
”Get him to kiss her! I could be the one
”Who makes her dream come true! I’ll drop a hint!
.   “That’s it!” It made me wince,
.   For if it worked, she’d run, 

On her slim human legs, to live on land,
Where she’d no longer see her pals or Pop,
And I would, likely, from her sight be banned;
But that was fair to me�"that she should stop
.   Our friendship; that I drop
.   Out of her life…be canned.

I sang romantic music for the pair.
I rallied ocean cavalry to fight
Vanessa (or the Sea Witch). Through despair
I struggled grimly, knowing that I might
.   Succeed; might conquer, smite
.   Both Witch and Seagull. Fair.

Perhaps she can’t forgive me, after all.
At any rate, when Eric took a wife,
She smiled at me, politely. But to call
Our friendship ‘close’ today? Not on your life. 
.   For it would cause her strife
.   To leave her nightly ball

And come out here and visit Uncle Scut.
She has her landlocked life now, never mind.
As far as she’s concerned, that door is shut.
And I deserve it. No, you’ll never find
.   My niecelet here; I’ve pined;
.   But I’m a useless nut.

I’ll sit and watch the sea, just on a whim.
Without companions, buddy, life’s a bore.
But what’s that ship that’s coming? It’s quite dim…
It seems to me… I’ve seen that ship before! 

I see some long, red hair!
It’s my dear niecelet there!

That lovely voice once more:
“Oh, Eric! Look! It’s him!“