Poem-The Whisper of the Little Mermaid*

The waves beckon; it is Time to yield
To the mighty embrace of my Mother,
The Sea—
To blend with the foam upon her crest…

It is a Destiny I accept: the price
Of a chance I had to take…

For you, my Love, I chose —

The ceaseless Silence that lies heavily
Upon my throat…
My soul’s voice hushed forever…

To dance upon swords and stones;
Each footstep, Agony
And yet Ecstasy: to see your smile…

Estrangement from my home and kin;
Ignoring plaintive pleas
Echoing in the waves and storms…

To embrace the aching sorrow
Of being loved—
And yet not being loved best…

For you, my Love—again
This last choice I must make:
My Death, above Redemption…

The unshed tears of a Lifetime
Bound by the curse of tearless eyes
Will be freed into the boundless Sea…

And the Wind and Waves shall mourn
How little you ever knew, My Prince,
How deeply I Loved You…


*Inspired by the story “TheLittle Mermaid” by Hans ChristianAndersen. The little mermaid in the story falls in love with a human Prince, and sacrifices her lovely voice for a pair of feet—feet that pierce her like knives at every step. The sea-witch who helps her tells her that if the prince falls in love with her and loves her above anyone else, she would become human, and have an immortal soul. If not, on the day he marries someone else, she would die and dissolve into the foam upon the Sea. The Prince, though he loves his mute “little page” dearly, is in love with a beautiful princess. On the eve of his marriage, the mermaid’s sisters come to her with a knife and tell her that if she can drive the knife through the prince’s heart, she would become a mermaid again and could return to the Sea. To read the whole story, go to http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_merma.html