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“She is a mermaid, but approach her with caution. Her mind swims at a depth most would drown in.”
~J Iron Word
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An enchanting mermaid swam through the oceans of the world trying to forget her past. You see, not long ago she found a young man resting on a strip of sand punctuated by palm trees, and it was love at first sight. She lured him to sea and they swam together. They kissed and caressed, as they laughed giddy with pleasure. She held him tight and plunged into the depths, failing to remember in cruel bliss that even lovers drown.
So she swam and swam, all the while the distance she created did not relieve her heartache. She came to a mystical land of pink sandy beaches. Relieved to be far from the terrain of men she rested. The ocean sighed and brought in the tide and as she breathed the salty air she felt a stir in her middle. She rubbed her belly and felt it pop. Soon after, she realized she was with child.
Although the child would be offspring to the one she had lost at sea––the one whose blinding smile still burned in her eyes––she swore to the ocean she would always care for it. But when a male babe was born in the likeness of her lost love she did not know how she would keep her promise. Every day she fed the babe and cared for him, only leaving him at night when she returned to the sea. She always left him sleeping, swaddled in palm fronds in a small trench she dug near the water.
Days turn to weeks and as the little male child grew, so did her suffering for he reminded her of the lover she held too long underwater. Finally, one night she prayed to the ocean goddess asking for help. After hours of tearful prayers she went into the sea to sleep with the coral. The next morning she awoke and swam dutifully to the pink shore to feed and care for her child.
When she arrived to the area where she had left him for the night––he wasn’t there. Swaddled in palm fronds was a large conch shell. She picked it up and examined it in her hand. It was the most exquisite shell she had ever laid eyes on. A soft, mellifluous sound escaped the shell. The mermaid lifted it to her ear and heard the voice of the ocean goddess, “This is your baby boy. He shall be easier to care for now.”
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She danced with coral
Happy as a clam with pearl
Till in love she fell
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Pink and Shell are this week’s prompt words chosen by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.
Ron hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is an author and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.
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Have a happy Friday, everyone!
Beautiful. Sandy feet and salty kisses, tasting of sunshine.
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That’s lovely! Thank you. 😀 xx
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Love this… I got such beautiful images from your well chosen words.
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I’m so happy to hear that, Annette! I always feel a little panic just before clicking the ‘Publish’ button. I’m happy you enjoyed the post. Have a great weekend! ❤
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Wonderful bit of writing. Thanks for sharing it.
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Hello Craig! Aw, thank you. I love it when Ronovan’s prompt words inspire a story as well as a poem. I’m glad you liked it, my friend. 😀 xx
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Such a beautiful piece, Vashti! ❤️
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Hi Natalie! Thank you. I’m happy you enjoyed it. ❤ xx
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Such a great haiku and the story is beautiful. 🤗
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I’m so glad you liked it, Brigid. Thank you! ❤
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Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing such beautiful story and haiku. Have a good weekend, Vashti!
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Hello sweet Olga! Thank YOU for stopping by and leaving your kind comment. You have a great weekend too! ❤ xx
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Vivid and lyrical, Vashti. Nicely done. Mega hugs
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Hi Teagan! That’s great coming from you! Thank you! I’ll be by your site to check out the fairy story a little later––I can’t wait! 😉 xx
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So poignant. Happy Friday, Vashti.
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Thank you, Magarisa. 🙂 xx
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Such a beautiful story of love lost, but magically transformed into the peaceful, ‘mellifluous’ sound of the ocean. Loved your post, Vashti. ❤
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What a beautiful interpretation, Olga. Thank you! ❤ xx
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This is lovely, Vashti. I adore all the pink and aqua. One of my most memorable dreams was filled with pink and aqua. I remember it so vividly, all these years later … 💕
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Hello Tina! I love that color combination also. It has a Yin / Yang affect. That must have been some dream. It’s great that you enjoyed the post. Thank you! ❤ xx
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It was a remarkable dream, Vashti. We were on a spaceship that discovered a new planet. The ocean was calm and a soothing shade of aqua. The sky was the most exquisite array of pink tones. We landed at dawn, and when I beheld such beauty, waves of peace and joy swept over me. I felt I had come home 💕
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What a beautiful dream, Tina. I invite you to come down to S. Florida. I’m sure our sunrises can come close to your description. 😉
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I have a cousin in Brooksville. Anywhere near you?
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I believe that’s central Florida and it’s north of Tampa, so I would say your cousin lives about 5.5-6 hrs. from where I live. 🙂
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Meager miles when on a road trip 🙂
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True. 😉
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This story took my heart away Vashti…what a beautiful and poignant ending! Thanks for keeping the fairy tales world alive. 🙂
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Hello Balroop! I grew up devouring fairy tales and mythology books. I still love them and these types of stories have had a great influence on my work. I’m so happy you enjoyed the story. Thank you! You’ve made my day. 😀 xx
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I feel transported to a whimsical world! 🙂
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I love it when I get comments like yours! One of the goals I set for myself when I write a story is to carry the reader off to another world, so thank you very much, Christy! ❤ xx
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wow – Vasthi – elite in your writings, reading this post, it means a lot to me. I felt I was going or walking through another adventure…amazing!!
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Aw, that’s sweet, Mihran. Thank you! 🙂
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I just loved this Vashti, I got goosebumps at the end of the story. The imagery you create with your words make for such a beautiful read. And the Haiku too was lovely, loved the use of the ‘pink’ in the font color. ❤
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Thank you for the kind words, Debby. I appreciate you. It was too tempting not to use the pink color. I actually used ‘coral’ instead of pink in the poem, since it’s a pinkish-red color. I’m so happy you liked the post. ❤ xx
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Loved it! ❤ xx
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What a beautiful story and haiku Vashti. I can’t imagine how torn she must have felt. Will the conch shell suffice?
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Hi Jacqui! Thank you very much! That’s a good question. 🙂
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Lovely tale, if bittersweet. A different take on the whole siren myth. 🙂
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😀
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