mermaid

moontime chains me
to this sandy rock
laid out bare in shining turquoise
breasts bejewelled in periwinkle
midriff encrusted in salt

on land we touched just once
and i turned mermaid for you
wetness welding my legs
into a shell tail
flipping with need

see the coral stud in my forehead
grown deep orange in two journeys
around the sun
see the oyster pearls six on each finger
counting the months

silver dimples my cheeks
as queen of illyria blinks kindness
splashes and one last wave unmermaids me
to stride lightly with you
over this craggy edge
 
 
 
 
 
Poemfor mermaid bowl.  Appears on outer edgein spiral shape following pattern of periwinkle. Written following swim in seanear Dubovnik, Croatia May 2009.
 
JuliaDavis / York