In Dreams

I wish I could make myself into a mermaid.

Elusive, fictitious, long flowing hair- the works.

I would swim and watch the ships in battle,

watch to see which men are still alive when they

hit the surface of the water.

And then I would swoop in and scoop them up,

wounded and unconscious,

sailors or soldiers or slaves, I wouldn’t care.

I would take them away under the water

and tend to their wounds.

And I would sing to them too.

Mermaids and men don’t speak the same tongue,

but music travels easily through water.

I would tell them without words that it was all a dream

and that everything is going to be okay

(whether or not it was true).

The ones that wouldn’t make it, I’d take down into the blue.

The rest I left beside the sea, and hoped to leave a song inside their heads

so they would know that it was me.

Because, we mermaids are the stuff of dreams

and in their dreams I return to them.

And in our dreams we can be anything

where a pair of legs, like wings, could sprout

have our father part the sea, just so we can walk out!

(It’s funny to dream of being a thing that dreams of being me)

But a mermaid’s heart is a ship inside a bottle.

The want to get out is somewhat inevitable. And the men,

they wake up and they tell themselves that it was just a dream

and rarely go down to the sea to walk along the shore to remember.

The mermaids are out there.

But they don’t seem to see.

And the sunset sends them in again.

And our song is swallowed up by the vastness

of the ocean and its long din.

So we go back in to play with dolphins and wait

for a prince that likes to swim. 

A little slow going to start, and a lot to learn

My, my, my... My project is plucking along, and here I am not blogging one single thing about it. It's not that stuff isn't happening, it is just the unexciting stuff of "getting my ducks in a row" that doesn't translate to amazing posting (and I admit that the holidays took a chuck out of last month where I did nothing productive at all). But that doesn't mean I'm not chomping at the bit to tell everyone all about it- I am.

In fact, I really ought to start blabbing about it to any and everybody because what I am learning fast is that I am going to need a LOT of help! I am suddenly supposed to be the "director" of all aspects of this project, and I am starting to realize just how much work it really is. Work that, as a community organizer, I am used to sharing the burden of (frankly). See, I'm used to working on things as a part of a group. We decide to do something, I volunteer for the parts I can help with or am good at, and the rest just magically happens (sometimes the success of an event or campaign is really magical, because the number of people it takes to pull it off is often smaller than you would think). But the point is, I am a part of a team, group or organization, and trouble shooting and brain storming and all that are a team effort.

 Now, for this project I am my own team. I have to build a team, and I have to be in charge of the work getting done. (Oh god) The bottom line. A leader. All that jazz. So, yeah, stuffs happening but I've got that much more to do. I've got a lot to learn.

But here's how you can help!

I need to get out there and perform some poetry! If you hear of any events, fundraisers, educational forums, organizations, or community groups that could use some spoken word poetry (of the social justice/ anti-war variety) you should definitely let me know! I need to get out there and do poetry. That is the most important thing right now (besides writing new stuff). If you can think of any good spaces/locations or if you know any cool poets or local musical acts that seem like they would be interested in "the project" I'm doing, you should also let me know. I think I am going to write up a more formal appeal on this later for my website (that currently exists, but not in any final form kinda way) but for now, shoot me an email or find me on the facebooks. Missteatree@gmail.com 

And thanks for reading my blog about it! Check it out: New buttons for my new website!!!