My Little Mermaid Poem by Deanna Samuels

One special figurine,
my little mermaid sitting on a rock,
was molded with
gentle strokes and smoothing touches.
Gradually, a body emerged to the waist,
tapering into a scaly, long fish tail
falling over and beyond her rocky seat.
Long, thickly corded hair trailed down her back

When sculpting was complete,
I painted her hair a dark rich brown,
face, body and arms a light silky green,
tail dark green, contrasting with the grey rock.

She emerged from the kiln shimmering.
My little mermaid took pride of place
as the years and house-moving went by.
Now she is a little worse for wear,
a chip here and there but her colours endure.
She's even been used as a door stop!


Written at Courtice, Ontario - 2nd November 2023