by Linea Jantz
immense haunting eyes, unblinking
shedding scales, a glimmer in the depths
she doesn’t look like the Disney mermaids
what does she need of skin, of silky tresses?
my mermaid is Gollum with a fish tail
a stingray’s face is more human
more friendly
she hunches, ravenous
amongst the colorful coral
rips at raw fish
flesh sliced with needle teeth
the ocean too loud
she shivers
fins over ear holes
concerned kelp plucking at her arms
I need to leave her
for air
which she does not need
and therefore does not understand
I promise to return
but she wails
ocean keening echoes
of her abandonment
each time I surface
gulp the salt air to my grateful lungs
raise my wrinkled palms to the sun
I am ashamed
I consider leaving for real
Linea Jantz (she/her) has worked in roles including waste management, social services, and teacher. Among other adventures, she taught Business English in Ukraine (pre-invasion), worked as a bike law paralegal, and helped film a short documentary about women entrepreneurs in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Her writing is featured in publications including Palette Poetry, Heavy Feather Review, Beaver Magazine, and EcoTheo Review. She is a reader for ONLY POEMS and volunteers in her community supporting youth writers.
Linea’s golden shovel poem “Working Mom” was featured in Winter Solstice: Without Pause and short story “A Woman Named” was featured in Summer Solstice: Life Expectancy.