I’m in this dive under the water
no other customers but me no bartender
just a sign that reads ‘back in five - Frank’
all windows are large portholes
to a greenish dark shivering landscape
and its sundry marine life, for it’s the sea
out there.
When my eyes lift from my glass I notice
this handsome lady sitting cross-legged 
a couple of stools from me and it’s kind of hard
to cross your legs when you don’t have any
when they look like a lean fish tail in a bluish satin dress.
I confess: I think she is a mermaid and I tell her so
after breaking the ice with a deep-voiced ‘hello’
She smiles a funny smile mostly with her eyes
‘you’re quite the perceptive one’ she says
creative as usual you know me I continue
‘have you and I met before?’
well not exactly
turns our it was just that one time
when I was on the shore while she was 
dashing through underwater in the shallows
without once coming out for air while
moving way too fast for even
an olympic champion on expensive drugs
no gear of any kind in sight, no oxygen
no tube no tricks no nada 
yeah it was her all right;
shortish blond hair athletic build sculptural arms mystic presence and especially, especially 
that unusual

end.