Neruda's Mermaid
(a companion piece to Pablo Neruda's
Fable of the Mermaid and the Drunks)
No, I am not a mermaid,
and I do have speech
and clothes to cover me.
Other than that, I am
as lost as his mermaid
in a world of men too drunk
with competitive contempt
to notice eyes the color
of distant love. Easier by far
to egg each other on
to blacken me with mockery
and cigarette butts and
whatever else is at hand.
And I know I must leave
through that door somehow
and swim toward the
emptiness that frightens me—
it is so vast—and swim toward
my death that frightens me—
it comes so soon.
The emptiness frightens me
more—I wanted to make
something with my lovely
white arms, but I need them
for swimming away.
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Author's Note
First published in Rose & Thorn Journal, this is part of my 2018 collection "Xanthippe and Her Friends"
"a world of men too drunk
with competitive contempt
to notice eyes the color
of distant love."
Don't it always seem to go...
I wanted to make
something with my lovely
white arms, but I need them
for swimming away.
So beautiful!
Wonderful work!*
Coherent and resonant. Astonishing. I bought your book.
I love a good metaphor *
A fine poem.
Mathew, Erika, Tim, Dianne, Emily, and Gary - thank you for your wonderful comments. Dianne, you made my day - I am thrilled!
Good poem, Beate.
Thank you for reading, Sam.
I like this. Sometimes you get "covered" with things that aren't clothes, if you're a woman, it's true.
(Odd coincidence: Just wrote a rant about del Toro's latest, and mermaid movie "Splash" came up: https://www.facebook.com/crabbymcgrouchpants/posts/1799266583714820)
*, Beate. Good poetry here.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Crabby and David.