Shorty’s Mermaid

You think dogfish

but this one’s different.

Oh sure, the same lazy drag

and perpetual smile they all bring

to the top, the same tail-wagging affection

at the side of the boat,

but never adorned like this! A rare necklace

of kelp feathers and slime, her gold

monofilament hair teased out,

those ancient, emerald eyes

reflecting the world.

Fifty years

of fishing the Point

and something inside you

starts to sing again,

you smile back.

You give her your slow grip,

haul her into the boat and show her off.

You take her up the ramp like she’s a queen.