An original, previously unpublished poem by renowned Yorkshire love poet Ian Parks.
Mermaid’s Hair
By Ian Parks
In the lull before the storm
I took my lover by the arm
to see the mermaid’s hair
that floated smooth and aqueous
over the pebbles of the weir.
We were no more than seventeen
and soon, I knew, she’d have to go –
but I was glad to have her there,
slipping hot feet from her shoes
to let the long strands swirl and streak
her ankles green on white.
There were dragonflies that summer
and they darted all about us
as she untangled her numbed feet
and rested them on the scorched stones to dry.
There was the future in the moment
and in those wet prints as they disappeared
the first poems of my life.
Did you love Mermaid's Hair? Don't miss our Insider Interview with Ian Parks.
Described by Chiron as 'the finest love poet of his generation', award winning poet Ian Parks has published eight collections, performed many writing residencies and taught aspiring poets at five British universities, including Oxford.
Imagery by Zou Meng via Unsplash