Down down down under the sea
There, right there, amongst the waters and the sands
A mermaid of unimaginable beauty fled her homeland

An eye for an eye, heart for heart, two lovers wouldn't be torn apart
To join a man above the waves, a precious treasure, she gave
This impossible trade the mermaid made?
She gave her tongue for legs so she might walk by his side
In a world with words she couldn't speak, lived the mute bride

~~~

She lived with bubbles beneath her tongue
and the sound of ocean in her ears
And yet, despite her rightful bloodline
A desert is where she'd spent her years

The hair of a siren, with a voice like their song
but the legs of a woman.. it was wrong, so wrong
Her exotic, other-wordly looks, a sailor boy found striking
And his familiar scent of salty breeze gave her a liking


Trailing calloused fingers through silky siren strands
The sailor murmurs to his lover, "What would you do for me?"

"I would leave my homeland"


The tang on his skin of a home she's never seen, erase her troubles
Giggling sweetly, she asks him, "And for me, my sweet, love?"

He could pop her bubbles

Hello everyone,

  I'm so very sorry … I feel horrible doing this, but I have no choice. You see, I have published my first book on Amazon/Kindle! This piece (and many others) had to be taken down because they do not allow published material to be available online for free. (Go figure) I wanted to leave the shell of the posts because I felt compelled to leave all your helpful and loving comments. (Silly sentimental, I know), but I also didn't want to just have the pieces disappear without an explanation. I feel bad enough as it is!

  I owe ALL of you so, SO much for all of your reads, love, and support. It was YOU that gave me the gumption to FINALLY get off my **** and publish! Thank you all for the warm comments, camaraderie, and encouragement! I will still be here, reading, uploading and just being the Rascal that I am. How could I EVER leave you guys?

  The book is called “The Way I See It – FictionPhilosophySoul Food” and it will be FREE for the first few days on Kindle Select, so watch for it, if you are interested. I hope that you go and grab it. If you do, I would also hope that you find it worthy, you would leave me a good review. That will help me get in the public eye! Soon afterwards (2-3 days or so), it will be available in paperback.

Find the book(s) here: www.amazon.com/author/jeff.gaines

Or find the book(s), and all about me, here: www.JeffGaines.world

  Soon after

  By Christmas, I also hope to have my first novel (a supernatural thriller), called “Wanderer” available as well!

  Wish me luck!

                                Big, Biggest Love,

                                               Jeff Gaines

started wearing surgical face masks
in public to hide zits
i dig the tiny apartments and the drift
of tokyo skylines
i dig the anonymity, paper thin walls
you can hear a neighbor
playing his guitar
sometimes i wish i could fly back
and live there forever
quit living with an abusive boyfriend

vain fluff, temporary garbage
954 pieces of trash is too much
to pick up

let the most dazzling of sunlight
and cool shade get along in peace
let the blue fat flies settle on the miles
of back alleyways full of dumpsters

veiled threats from anonymous faces
who are apparently experts in poetry
let it all rot under a gibbous moon