Mermaid Tears

A stranger came up to me today With the most peculiar thing He held a vial in one hand And in the other, a ring. He handed me the bottle, with a smile on his face. He gave me also the ring in a gesture full of grace “These are important for you, You’ll need them sometime soon. Drink the liquid and wear the ring, Be ready for the moon.” I took the gifts and message too With questions in my head But he only winked and turned away, Leaving me full of dread. I uncorked the bottle and took a deep breath. It was salty as the sea; smelling just like death. I hung the ring around my neck it was a noose of lead. I prayed that when the moon arrived, I would not be left for dead. A week had passed since the stranger’s warning. The air was frigid And filled with mourning The moon would come tonight, I knew. It was time to face my fate. Whatever Destiny had in store, I wished she would be late. But as the moon lit up the sky I knew that it was time I uncorked the vial of mermaid tears And in the distance heard a chime With shaking hands and beating heart, Upon my finger I placed the ring I closed my eyes and parted my lips And with that, began to sing. A beautiful song erupted Vibrant, and full of life. But then the melody quieted And I could feel the strife. Cold water drenched my body And I knew that I was she who had left the water for the land who had become, well, me I had cried these salty tears, A long, long time ago And where the ring would lead me now I most certainly did not know. But one thing I knew with certainty: I needed to find the man Who had given me the ring and vial Who had lent a helping hand. He had returned to me my identity And for that I owed my thanks There were so many lacking memories From when I had left my ranks. The memories flowed back to me, the life under the ocean. I remembered crying those mermaid tears That were used to make this potion. A tear slipped down my cheek just then Salty as the sea It had no magical properties, because I was still me. Did I wish for the waves? The life I had back then? That person was different from me; Did I wish for her again? The answers to these I did not know I was quite sure of this. But a little voice had told me: “It’s alright to reminisce.” I realized I did not miss my life Down there under the waves This life on land was good enough For one, like me, who behaves Although I had once been someone else This was who I was, now I was content with these memories And with that, I made a vow I would be happy with this life Since I had chosen it I would live each day completely And I promised to never quit. Something strange happened that day, The most peculiar thing. A stranger had given me a gift, And I saw what life could bring.