Far below the waxing and waning tides
and the hulls of the ships of men
boulders carved through time
become the ocean’s cradle

Where water is warmed by ancestral dreams
spun from pirate’s tales and a lost seaman’s treasure,
mermaids sleep

A deep sigh echoes within
the salt water’s hum
cushioning the ear

Timeless comfort of gentle pressure
against scale and skin
The mermaid’s blanket at bedtime

Octopus glide past
and starfish hush them
While full moon strands of light
illuminate the deep

Fluid tails caress the undersea breeze
and the mermaids’ long hair perform a mesmerizing dance
Closed lashes frame rosy cheeks and shallow breaths

Beauty in full surrender
resting in strength
Reflecting
their truest essence

Creating an undercurrent of
longing.
To the drowning …
a life-giving breath

They are
a compass in the storm
North Star to guide by
the bounty of ease.

Far below the waxing and waning tides
and the hulls of the ships of men
boulders carved through time
become the ocean’s cradle.

Where mermaids sleep …

Copyright Laura Marshall, Writer