I picked a site and pitched my tent,
alone among the trees
The sun was bright, a perfect view,
a sweetly scented breeze

I sat awhile to just relax,
taking in the scene
A warm wind blew across my face,
the feeling so serene

My eyes closed for a minute
when I heard the strangest sound
As if someone was singing,
it was floating all around

I found a path and made my way,
didn’t seem to have a choice
The song it was enchanting me,
hypnotic was the voice

I snuck among the evergreens,
not a sound my steps did make
Till I clearing I did find
along a pristine lake

When then I saw her splashing
in the waters by the shore
My eyes had never seen such beauty
anywhere before

Her hair a glowing shade of brown,
her eyes a burbon gleam
A smile brighter than the sun,
it glistened like a dream

She didn’t see me standing there,
leaning on a tree
I grabbed a stone and skipped it
hoping somehow she would see

Turning as she noticed me,
a startled look she wore
Then dove beneath the surface
in the waters by the shore

I watched the ripples that she made,
their pattern moving slow
I waited for a while
wondering where this girl did go

I soon became quite nervous,
fearing something bad was wrong
And jumped into the water
where she sang her wondrous song

I didn’t see her anywhere,
my heart began to break
Nothing now but silence
I was hearing on this lake

And then I saw some movement
from the corner of my eye
Her head popped from the water
as I fought the urge to cry

She looked at me so funny
while her head turned side to side
I whispered, “Hi, are you okay?
I thought you might have died”

She laughed but didn’t say a word,
my smile quickly grew
When then she was right next to me
and suddenly I knew

This woman that I found today
while following a trail
I now know is a mermaid
as I see her shimmered tail

Its beauty captivated me,
my pulse began to race
Before I even caught my breath
she was right up in my face

She leaned in close and kissed me,
it was such a magic feel
Her lips were soft as morning dew
how could this all be real

She reached below the surface
and retrieved a golden shell
She placed it in my pocket,
I was captured by her spell

We swam all day until the sun
was setting in the west
She never spoke but when she sang
my heart beat through my chest

When one more time she kissed me
and my head began to whirl
I watched now as she swam away
the ripples they did swirl

I was feeling very dizzy
like I could just barely stand
My body oh so heavy
as I made it to dry land

I lay there on the coastline,
shivers raced across my skin
When suddenly I woke up
in my campsite once again

I shook my head and realized
it all had been a dream
I slept most of the day away
at least that’s how it seemed

The stars now twinkled in the sky,
a shining moon above
And what I saw was in my mind,
it wasn't true, this love

When suddenly I felt it,
once again my heart did swell
I reached into my pocket
and produced the golden shell

I guess it really happened
and the kisses felt were real
I've never been so happy
as this joy that I now feel

My lips began to tingle
as they formed into a grin
I can’t wait till tomorrow
to go swimming once again

Because I know I love her,
she’s the one that I adore
And soon we’ll be together
in the waters by the shore

I'm having tea with Life,
And his band of Disappointments.
They dine at my expense,
And they're a hungry bunch of guests.

Tea turned into Supper,
Where the Disappointments drank
My finest wine,
And Life wiped his cruel mouth
On my tablecloth.

You can't have supper without dessert,
So they ate up more of my
Food for thought.
And if you stay for dessert,
You may as well spend the night.
So they did
And burgled my pantry of hopes
For a midnight snack.

One night was lovely,
So Life cackled, "Why not stay two?"
And two turned to a week,
And a week turned into
My sickeningly merry guests
Moving into my dreams,
And inviting in Doubt,
To live with them too,
And of course
Pay no rent.

So I watch my chaotic household
Of a skull,
Where Life has made himself at home
And brought all of his friends.
I stare dully at my ruined
Dining room of thought,
Which they have dominated.
And look wearily for a spare idea
In my raided cupboards.

I've never been one
To evict friends,
So I suppose they're here to stay.
But learn a lesson from me,
And don't ever
Have Life over for tea.

Running amok black bellies of hail-clouds
divest their hard cargo
on near-ready harvest and thunder claps
in spiteful applause.

Scudding sails of racing white galleons
arrive to the rescue
and change weather's position as quiet
breaches gale's disorder.

Setting the sun throws magenta feathers
across dark horizon
and to settle the issue parades jade tints
as the landscape transforms.

Waiting small boats plod homewards in
fish-laden formation
while wives run to stoke hot-kettled fires
of ready bath water.

Lighting a pathway half-moon winks as
heavier catches in
hauled nets silver the harbour and men
start night's final performance.

Sating hunger with coming and going
sow-and-reap women know
the meaning of sharing male labour in
scaling and salting chores.

Fisher-folks' world begins and ends
with the vagaries and quirks of weather.