Fire Snakes - Laura Veirs

Mermaids

Shimmer in the waves

Wanted to share a word

Course they only waved

Left me alone

With the blood in my mouth

To paw and to pray

To tear at the fray for a thundercloud

To dress up your wounds

Wash off the salt

Freshen the blooms

At your sea-rusted altar

Caldera’s edge

We’ll hold hands and wait

Mudflows are greyhounds

Exploding from gates

With hot ash and hot rocks

They’ll crash and they’ll mosh

Till the trees are all flat

And we all collapse from the chase

Then I’ll dress up your wounds

Wash off the salt

Freshen the blooms

At your mud-crusted altar…