To the Land-Locked Mermaid

6th poem for National Poetry Month.
And a continued invitation to respond with lines of your own, or a piece you love. (But all responses are welcome!)

To the Land-Locked Mermaid
By Edith Hope Bishop, Jan 2016

Don’t be afraid to swim through grass,
bathe in dark soil,
comb your hair with pinecones,
rouge your lips with berry.
You can still lounge on rocks
and stare longingly at land,
those mountains in the distance.
If you feel lonely, sing to the farmer,
seduce the woodcutter.
They're almost as winsome as sailors.
Collect feathers for your hair,
or dandelions.
If you miss your sisters,
send them seeds on a summer wind.
And if your scales happen to dry out,
(this is likely),
wander free in heavy rain.
Let your spirit transform again.
In mud be reborn,
in earth, your self. 

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