The Mermaid Parade

A lovely day
for a mermaid parade
we dress in our best
on-land finery
which is always a trick
you know because
it must be attractive
enough to capture
attention and
ooohs and ahhhs (and
different every year;
no points for last year’s
outfit) and absorbent/
repellant enough
to bear repeated
sprays of salt water
(since only the upper half
can stay out of water;
the other, lower half
needs repeated dousing).
I love the parade but
I see it’s drawing
smaller crowds
a result I suppose of us
becoming like everyone else
but I will twirl my umbrella
in the sun even as I long
for what it was, once
(oh, you should have seen
it in the old days)

This poem is submitted for One Shot Sunday hosted by One Stop Poetry. To see other poems prompted by the picture, please visit the site. You also get to read an interview with Danielle Kelly, the photographer, and see some pretty cool photos.

Photograph: Coney Island Mermaid Parade by Danielle Kelly. Used with permission.