Indeed, I missed another day of NaPoWriMo. But I feel like I broke through my writer's block (shh, I'll never really admit to ever battling that!) and had a bit of a creative breakthrough here, so this one is worthy of covering Days 17-18. Or at least I think it is!
We watched the two-part mermaid episode of Charmed this morning and I definitely let that work its magical inspiration on these words about the never-ending battle between mundane daily life and creativity. Perfect timing too, as I had to decide whether to sit down and write this out or get to work first. I think I made the right choice. ;-)
Saying it's about the fight between work and art might be breaking it down a little too simplistically, but dig into the words and see for yourself what meaning you pull out of it. It could apply to a lot of things, but that's where my head was when I was writing it. Enjoy!
___
THE SEA-DWELLER AND THE EARTH-BOUND
This legged creature hates the mermaid that reawakens inside her every spring.
She hates her because the sea-dweller is a feminist and a woman of confidence.
The earth-bound one is downtrodden and more than happy to remain that way.
She finds it easier to drown her desires than to fight the system.
But every time the ocean warms and the hibiscus begins to bloom,
that insatiable inner being smirks and plots and schemes,
turning the complacent into a miserable and stubborn thing.
One masks her love as hatred and buries her emotion under ice,
but the other, her gemini, won't comply, splashing sun-warmed saltwater
to thaw and melt the numbness from her atrophied limbs and heart.
She fights hard against efforts that should be appreciated—
flings hurt and hurls daggers at delicate fins.
She can't imagine that the siren goddess might win.
All that the mermaid wants is for both to swim, sing, and play—
for these once indistinct personalities to again blend and integrate.
She doesn't seek to destroy the life that's been built or to take anything away.
And she is filled with empathy, understanding why the legged one is so jaded—
why she's so filled with fear, unable to entertain a seemingly silly sea maid.
These two arch enemies pulled from one personality might battle into eternity.
Fairytales scream for happy endings but fate and time always have their say.
It's undetermined how the story will end and which femme fatale will prevail.
But I'll tell you a secret—I'm rooting for the one with the tail.