Hear Blind Mermaids Sing

Hear Blind Mermaids Sing
© Surazeus
2023 07 23

When Thalia wanders by the silver sea 
with aching heart to hear blind mermaids sing 
she finds large ship wrecked on sardonic rocks 
so she bears half-drowned children in her arms 
and lays them dreaming in meadow of flowers 
where they construct a kibbutz to grow wheat. 

Long hair entangled with grape vines and gems 
blue-eyed Nereus, old man of the sea, 
sits on brick ziggurat on windy beach 
and roasts sea serpents on hot crackling flames 
to feed five thousand refugees from war 
who seek asylum from state tyranny. 

Guiding airplanes over Elysian Fields, 
Triton drops bombs on Olympus hall 
to kill the tyrant who wields thunderbolts, 
then drives jeep back home to Jerusalem 
where Poseidon sells fish to army wives 
and Gaia sews dresses for them to wear. 

Peering through the periscope to find ships, 
Oceanus captains slender submarine 
that glides swift as Cetus in sunless deep, 
then shoots torpedoes at wave-leaping Argo 
as Perseus swoops low in roaring airplane 
and fires sleek missile to kill the sea monster. 

While tending sheep under the old oak tree, 
Thalia wears comic mask of smiling joy 
to hide her heart that aches with bleak despair, 
and sings enchanting melodies of hope 
about sweet comedy of awkward love 
so watching children laugh worries away. 

Seeking fun entertainment after work, 
Perseus visits the Pegasus Cafe, 
where sea-nourished Amphitrite bakes bread 
for Jason and the Argonauts to eat 
before they hunt for fascists in the hills, 
to dance with Lamia while Phoebus plays jazz. 

Half drunk from wine that Dionysus sells, 
Proteus wanders Jerusalem maze 
where no idols stand in red moonlight glow 
to search for Lamia, his beloved wife, 
but staggers on soft sand of the sea shore 
where Nereids dance around the ziggurat. 

Leaping up steps of the high ziggurat, 
where Astaria plays heart-enchanting lyre, 
Perseus raises rifle with strong hands 
to assassinate Nereus with one shot, 
but Thalia protects old man of the sea 
who weeps for millions killed in the world war.