Mermaiding

By Jane Claire Jackson

Children stare and point, mouths agape. She dives, turning, scales flashing, resurfaces further away. Crowds gather, questioning, discussing, laughing. She undulates through the liquid landscape, feeding imaginations, evoking magic with every splash of her tail. She moves silently; singing would only break the spell. A few familiar faces laugh and wave but do not betray her secret. Golden hair fans out and glittered eyelids blink against the sun’s rays. She’s relaxed in her role, playing to the myth, strengthening the dreams.

Away from curious eyes, she hauls herself out onto a rock, removes the costume, and lays it out to dry.