Here in the shore stands a lonely rock
A companion of the lonely sea
I come here often waiting for you
Wishing for you
It’s just a matter of time, I thought
Then one day, there you are
The ocean waves trumpet your arrival
Though you seem adrift, like a dying fish
Drowning in your own world perhaps
I long to touch your golden hair and smile at you
And lift you up out of your deep waters
Yet you could not see me
Or would not see me, rather
Even as I wave my hand in the air
Your eyes wander far beyond your own reach
Too far to see the possibilities
Too far to see a dream come true
I vividly remember this moment
It’s happened many times before
Once again, I splash my tail in despair
I swim away in anguish, back to my kingdom
For just like your father before you
Your grandfather and his
And the ones before them, still
You stand on this rock
Unaware of my beauty
Unmindful of my existence
Unbelieving of any hope
©2008 Chris Alma Jose | Image from PBase
Chris Alma José 
oh that was lovely.. so blind that we dare not see…
at first I thought it was from the boy’s point of view but then realize it was from the mermaid’s which I rather like better
I feel bad for the mermaid but then not everyone can see what’s in front of them
nicely written
Sounds like a page from my life. Beautiful picture, lovely but sad story.
It’s a page from everyone’s life, if we’re truly honest. Thanks, Jillian.
sorry i just realized i had given my email incorrectly, i hope that doesnt matter!
Will you stop saying you are a non-writer? You write better than many of the self-professed writers I know. This is so lovely, so poignant. There is a sense of longing for what can never be. The bit that choked me up was how the previous family members hadn’t noticed the mermaid either. Chris, you are one of my favourite WRITERS. So there!
Well done Chris. I like what you’ve done with this prompt. This is touching and beautifully expressed. G
Very nice Chris – I really like the ‘could not’ / ‘would not see’ sequence and the use of ‘unmindful’ in the ending really solidified that part of the message well – powerful truth, for sure.
Beautiful.poignant and profound. Thanks, David.
Poet in secret are we? I knew it! Lovely poem..