my love swims
as a mermaid might
if she had two legs
and a divine fulcrum
my love wears
leopardskin drawers
beyond the imagination
of mermaids
beyond their salty physique
mermaids it is said
drove sailors mad
with unsatisfied desire
what a puritan conceit
all that promise
and no fulfilment
my love worries
her body is my only desire
does she momentarily
envy all mermaids
when she feels one hand
on her lovely bosom
one hand on her lovely quim
does she think to herself
as she waits for
that shock-wave to come
is it just me
or is it just him?
.
Jeff Cloves
Illustration: Claire Palmer