Adele Evershed
Why Doesn't The Mermaid Float Away When She Sleeps?
Maybe she weights her tail with starfish—
a dusting of saffron sea stars
that ripple across her sandy scales
like the watery reflection of The Milky Way.
Maybe she wraps her body with seaweed—
a gentle cover of olive fronds
that rock her like a lover's kiss
or sooth her like sheets spun from promises.
Maybe she coaxes oysters to pinch her hair—
a cluster of silvery shells
that grip like delicate pearl barrettes
and filter all her cares and sorrows.
Or maybe she piles pebbles upon her heart
and these are heavy enough—
since she still dreams of walking in the world
—with him.
Bio
Adele Evershed writes poetry and prose. Originally from Wales she has lived in Hong Kong and Singapore before settling in Connecticut with her family. Her poems can be found in various anthologies and online in Rainbow Poems, Three drops from a Cauldron, Flash Fiction North and The Fib Review.