Once upon a time,

Far below the ocean’s waves

A mermaid girl was born

In those dark, glittering caves

 

She swam with her sisters

But fell in love with the shore

Though no humans or princes

Did she ever adore

 

‘Twas the thought of creating,

Of crafting with hands

Of sculptures and paintings

From all different lands

 

That filled her with purpose,

And wonder and glee!

Nothing else could fulfill her,

So enamored was she.

 

One year a festival came

In a town quite close by,

And the mermaid exclaimed,

“Now, now is the time!”

 

She swam down to her father

In darkest depths of the sea

He said she could live there

But there were warnings to heed

 

She could never come again

To her sparkling ocean blue

And her hands would sting in pain

With each creation new

 

And if success ever fled

As she did from her home

There was nothing she could do

But disappear as sea foam

 

Without a second thought

She agreed eagerly

On land she learned with joy

And painted ceaselessly

 

Dear visions of her home

Mixed with her dream come alive

Glowed on the canvases

And she continued with pride

 

While the going was rough

And her fingers screamed in pain

She kept on with creating

And found all she could gain

 

Her pieces were called whimsical

With her oceanic trademark

And while many criticized her

Those darts missed their mark

 

And all throughout all of her life

Despite all of her pain

She found her own happiness

And never forgot from whence she came