The Case Against the Moon

She held the case against the moon
in bubbled glasses sea green hewn
and whispered nothings to the fish
her sea fins swishing at her wish
"The case against the moon", she said,
"began the day that I was wed
and on that day the tide pulled back
to swirling waves to ships attack
It 'twas this day my love embarked
a voyage to sustain my heart
while I a lowly mermaid be
he came to set my spirit free...
His ship was bitten by the wind
a low and moaning hull of tin
His eyes of coal to be immersed
while I searched for my wedding purse
Pearls from oysters for my crown
and seaweed stitched a wedding gown
His laugh and all his love did die
and, on my fins, I know not why
And so bold moon, I challenge you
to bring the worst that you can do
and I will fight with all my will
until the tides return to still."
The passive moon, it heaved a sigh
and tides began to do or die
while waves in turmoil turned to swell
the fish turned too, and wished her well.
She threw her glasses to the sea
and dove to indigo caves once free
to tether nets of liquid ore
to quell the moon forever more
On flying fish she pulled her nets
beyond the sun's impartial sets
to catch the moon and hurl her down
a luminous splash, and then no sound
The earth went dark, the sea went cold
all mermaids there went grey and old
The sea floor shook at the moon's embrace
in a glowing ripple of pure disgrace
Still in the sky in purple wind
the mermaid whispered: "I have sinned"
She shed a thousand briny tears
and flew the skies with grief and fears
'till deciding at last what she should do
She set a course to save the moon.
She dove to the bottom of a sea of light
and what she saw was quite a sight
The broken pieces in scattered glow
This wasn't the moon she used to know
So gently, with fins and liquid lips
she balanced a shard on her mermaid hips
and flew to the ink, to the sky of sorrow
with a sadness of what would be brought the morrow
The sliver she placed in the sky that night
became the "new moon" to dimly light
the ocean each month to gently grieve
it's ships and it's mermaids to long bereave.

Copyright © Tatyana Carney | Year Posted 2006

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