The Waiting Mermaid Poem by Diwakar Bhatt

Long ago, let us say, in the days of yore,
A maiden lived in a village near seashore.

She was fairest of the fair, with golden hair,
Her twinkling hazel eyes gave her a look rare.

She used to walk on the lone beach during sunset,
Watching the drowning red sun in the watery west.

The peeping moon, soon bedecked the dark sky,
The mirthful waves rose and fell in their vain try.

She would sit sadly on a sea battered rock high,
Gazing the moon and often heaving a listless sigh.

It was also a moonlit night, when her love parted,
Melting of her many months’ patience now started.

Her eyes watered many a times with heavy heart,
Agonizing was the shattering of all her dreams apart.

How could she forget the day when the sea stormed,
A huge ship wasted on beach, torn and fully deformed.

All sailors dead, lying all around, save the captain,
His pulse was sinking too if no quick care be taken.

She along with other villagers witnessed the tragedy,
Human beings were mauled by unseen hands bloody.

While searching for some sign of life among killed,
Her eyes fell on a demigod like face, she was thrilled.

Felt his beat by putting her ears on his bare chest,
Thanked god as she could reach there at His behest.

Summoned she many others to rescue the stranger,
Her heart was restless until he could be out of danger.

After days of unconsciousness, his senses restored,
She religiously kept by his bed till he was fully cured.

Her heart harbored immense love for the seafarer,
Her days flew and nights became restless thereafter.

But her shyness and bucolic inhibitions deep rooted,
Kept her lips sealed with eyes downcast and riveted.

Fully recuperated, the traveler wished to take leave,
It was a shock for the damsel and a cause to grieve.

Her only concern was to hold him for a few more days,
Blinded she was in love but to express she had no ways.

Frustrated, she took a boat and sailed to waves furious,
Up and down tossed by the roaring sea unduly perilous.

Someone brought this untoward happening to her father,
But sea became more and more-cruel as it grew darker.

No one has the courage to deal with situation horrifying,
Chances to save her went thin with every second passing.

Untimely commotion roused the curiosity of the seaman,
Thoughtful he became after knowing the real nasty reason.

He was a man, who trampled across many bullying oceans,
Deterring surges and unfriendly waters couldn’t be ruffians.

Smallest dingy he chose and some of the implements,
Pushed the craft and surfed on the snarling wavy fronts.

Putting life in jeopardy for the damsel who rescued him,
Paying debt at this time of need was not a mindless whim.

Only a dark speck he seemed in the raging sea vast,
Crowd at the shore lost sight of him also stood aghast.

Night passed with the fury of tempest of its own kind,
Lost hope of both and simply to the fate they resigned.

Sea was in a mournful lull as the dawn illuminated fully,
Two boats tied together they saw coming to shore coolly.

Rescuer steered the boat to the beach in quiet motion,
He didn’t want to disturbed the sleep of tired maiden.

They saw the damsel fast asleep after such an ordeal,
Her innocence and beauty gave all a joy beyond real.

The hero was also stung by the beauty of her face,
He lifted her in his hands and walked with slow pace.

Suddenly her sleep broken by the din of villagers rally,
Found her in the hands of one whom she loved secretly.

It was something like a fulfillment of her longing deep,
Passionate feelings rose and struck like an oceanic neap.

After the dramatic crisis new beginning it was for both,
Two bodies but one soul they were like flame and moth.

Roamed the beaches and camped in lonely islands green,
Savored unwarily under the azure sky their desires umpteen.

One day a ship anchored on the shore after a long passage,
The seafaring spirit of the man compelled to take a voyage.

She persuaded him not to leave her behind to languish,
At the same time she feared of his ire to resist his wish.

The man coaxed and cajoled her to wait for him not long,
Assured to come back with good fortune where he belong.

He bade goodbye with a kiss while boarding the ship,
The parting lashed on her heart like a merciless whip.

She kept on looking at it till it lost in the horizon,
She could do nothing but lamented on her decision.

It was that fateful day she cursed again and again,
When she lost all fortune for some unrealistic gain.

Many moons waxed and waned but no news came,
Her heart sunk, wept and wailed in dismal shame.

The fuming waves too resented on her doomed day,
Every time rose and struck their pate on rocky bay.

One morning another vessel made a halt for trade,
Rushed on board and numerous enquiries she made.

Before she could finish an old man came forward,
Handed over an old leather pouch without a word.


It contained a folded kerchief and a golden bracelet,
Opened the kerchief with shaking hands to inspect.

“Love” the only word written not in ink but in blood,
Wits assembled all bits and the outcome understood.

Old man held her before she could collapse to ground
Brought her back to sense by smelling salts he found.

Old man narrated the heroic tale of her lover sworn,
Told her how he saved many lives with loss of his own.

She ran to the rock where she always waited in torment,
Wept and wept continuously in the pain of bereavement

Her tears were making the sea more and more salty,
Gods too moved by damsel’s true love and loyalty.

Sea and sky both thundered that night making it dreadful,
She didn’t come down but relinquished her life with love truthful.

Gods turned her into a stony mermaid gazing to main
A shrine for lovers it will be till the humanity remain.