Encounter with a Mermaid

Alone by the wild sea I sought what I might see;

When all of a sudden, before me on a rock,

Reclined one of the wondrous women of the sea –

A mythical mermaid with whom I wished to talk.

“Mermaid, fair mermaid, why is it you hide?

My wish is to see you and to perhaps know you;

But I cannot find you when you hide in the tide,

And dive behind the waves to keep from my view.”

“I hide for I’m shy and really quite wary,

And I have reason to take care and beware;

For your race’s shown itself to be mostly quite scary

And the kind souls I’ve met have been rather rare.”

“I promise, dear mermaid, that I will tell no one

About you and your sisters and your home in the deep.

I’ll keep very quiet and until you are done,

You’ll not hear from me so much as a peep…

Is it true fair mermaid, that deep under the waves,

Your home is made of polished pearl and pink coral?

Is it true you are keeping captive as your slaves,

The souls of drowned sailors whose lives were immoral?”

“These stories you’ve heard are full of false rumor;

Our home is indeed of coral, pearl but much more.

We live in an aura of love and good humor,

And we do not judge those who pass by our door.”

“But you will admit that at times in the past,

Your voice would enchant sailors as they sailed by.

Entranced by your song and the spell that it cast;

Their ship wrecked and they died to your lullaby.”

“Such stories are foolish and really quite false;

We mermaids have never coaxed sailors to their death.

We watch and we wonder at life’s wonderful waltz,

And we want for nothing for the sea is our wealth.

The nonsense you spoke of is false, foolish folklore.

I hope that this day you have learned about us;

That you’ll change the wrong rumors that were there before,

And leave us alone without any fuss.”

“Thank you, dear mermaid, and I appreciate

The time you have spent answering my quest.

I know that you love and that you do not hate;

And I hope that some day I will be your guest.”

“You’ve asked your questions and I’ve tried to answer.

Now please, excuse me, I’ve company later.

The dolphins are coming for tea and you, sir,

May stay if you wish; you can be the waiter.”