From the sea, she walks ashore, seal-skin slips
from her body–she stands now unadorned–
shimmering hair unbound and flowing,
dulse-laced and glowing, she whips
it ‘round like armor. Girded thus, the sea foresworn
yet she lingers, soul unsure, not quite captured
by the sunlight, body gleaming, hair sheened by salt-sea blowing,
directed then by lover’s shouts, she turns, enraptured.
But rapture does not last, not when the sea sighs and calls
in waves that beckon with infinite ebbs and flows
with subaqueous whispers from afar–
till finally, she must flee the confining walls,
let loose her hair and shed her clothes
to rush upon the sea-kissed sand,
fur-pelt in hand, she makes one wish upon a star,
and embraces the sea, abandons land.
For De’s prompt at dVerse on mermaids and selkies. I rewrote a poem I did a while ago for one of Jane’s prompts and added a second stanza. I kept the rhyme scheme, but didn’t quite follow the rest for a san san poem. So, here goes—no minimalism here, this one’s unabashedly romantic.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Lovely. A Selkie. I think they’re more interesting than mermaids who don’t have a good reputation, temptresses, bringing death to honest sailors. The usual, blame the woman stuff 🙂 The language is magical.
Thank you so much!
I never really thought about the comparison. I suppose you’re right. 😀
Selkies get to choose more than mermaids who just get blamed for sinking ships and luring men to their deaths.
And lose their voices. 😏
Part of the punishment.
Yes. . .sigh.
😦
I know a mermaid or a selkie will never remain soilbound.. she needs the sea… there is nothing else for her.
Yes, so true.
Very beautiful!
Thank you!
“ with subaqueous whispers from afar–
till finally, she must flee the confining walls,
let loose her hair and shed her clothes
to rush upon the sea-kissed sand” So beautiful Merril !!
Thank you so much, Rene!
You’re so welcome!
😀
Rene beat me to it… this was marvellous and beautiful and romantic.
I remember reading a book where the selkie was male and it was sexy as hell (kind of like Ann Rice made vampires sexy). Damned if I can remember the title, though. I thought it was The Selkie but there are so many out there! Which one?
Thank you so much Dale!
Sorry, I can’t help you with the book. 🙂
LOL! I swear. I did google it and it was soooo long ago – like, lemme see, Roxanne lent it to me when we were in college in 1981…
Hahaha. I’m sure you did try.
I did!
So beautiful, both the leaving and the return.. You can never lose the part of you that comes from the sea. (K)
Thank you, Kerfe. I suppose that’s true. Maybe that’s why I like to walk by water so much.
I know it calls to me.
I so love the freedom in the ending when she choose the sea, and abandons the land.
Thank you very much, Grace.
I had not heard of male selkies, that would conjure many twists and vibes. Your selkie’s tail/tail is lovely, sensual and very romantic, As legends go, a selkie does not usually return to the sea until her human lover has died.
Thank you, Glenn! The selkie in the Childe Ballad is male, but the selkie in The Secret of Roan Inish is female, (and she does go back to the sea before her human lover dies from what I remember).
Absolutely beautiful Merril! Nicely done!
Thank you so much, Jill!
I like how you connect the two stanzas with rapture. The call of the sea will always win with the selkie. Beautiful poem!
Thank you very much. That’s a lovely comment!
You’re welcome, Merril!
Selfies are so romantic so it fits!
Selfies. I despise Siri.
She did it again!
This series of comments is so funny. Are you dictating them? Thank you though for the thought! 😀
Yes!!! Siri makes me so mad!
I seldom talk to her, but she likes to answer to NPR.
LOL!
Hahahaha.
Thank you!
Long hair as armor is simply fantastic, Merril. I love this selkie story.
Thank you very much, De.
The story of life is that constant tension between what is and what was… always drawing us back to our roots.
Well done!
Thank you, Dwight. That’s interesting how you put that about the tension. You’re right.
You are welcome!
Sumptuously selky (sic)
Thank you, Derrick. 😀
Happy that she is back to her own world where she belongs.
Thank you very much!
I love a good selkie story, and this is great. I love that she kept control of her sealskin – such power in her choices. I like your use of form, as well – there’s an acceleration in the second stanza that works really well.
Thank you very much, Sarah. I felt like I was speeding up when reading it to myself, so I’m pleased that came through.
A beautiful selkie poem, Merril, that flows like her unbound hair. I especially love the lines:
‘yet she lingers, soul unsure, not quite captured
by the sunlight, body gleaming, hair sheened by salt-sea blowing’
and
‘…waves that beckon with infinite ebbs and flows
with subaqueous whispers from afar’.
I’m relieved that she returned to the sea.
Thank you very much for your kind words and close reading, Kim!
Beautiful, she sounds mermaid-dreamy
Thank you, Jude! 😀
My pleasure Merril
I never doubted she’d return, not nearly enough here to claim her.
Ah–interesting. I guess that’s why I had to add the second stanza. 😀
So beautiful!
Thank you very much!