From THE SEA

Jenny and Daddy live here together,

Jenny's quite sure it's been that way forever.

Daddy likes crosswords and fishing and weeding.

Jenny loves swimming and drawing and reading.

Jenny loves Dad, and Daddy loves Jen.

It's always been that way, since Jenny-knows-when.

Jenny's Mum can't live with them,

She's different, you see.

“My Daddy says my Mama comes from the sea.”

Jenny's Mum looks quite human

When she comes ashore.

Her white hair hangs, icy.

Her sweet breath blows, warm.

Mama never stays long

Sometimes hours, sometimes days.

Then she shrugs on her sealskin

And once more, swims away.

Nothing’s missing, they’re sure. 

Jenny likes it this way. 

Likes the clandestine trips to see Ma-by-the-bay

Likes the midnight adventures and cold fish and chips

Likes the coolness and damp as she’s dandled on hips,

Likes the prick of Ma’s claws, loves the shine of the moon

Loves the glimmer of honest seal eyes in the gloom

Likes the tang of salt air, likes the black of the sea.

Ma comes only by night

So the neighbours won’t see

Night time brings closeness

But then comes the sun

And for sweet yawning Jenny

There’s tales to be spun

Why her socks are all damp

And her face smeared with sleep

Why her eyes never focus

Still awash in the deep

Though when class time is through at the end of the day

Jenny sees clearly some tales have no sway

Some things are just different

Like at the school gates. 

Seems like no one else has a Just-Daddy that waits. 

Sometimes, she wonders, but it’s tricky to tell…

Are there others like her? Could it be? She can smell

The otherness on them, a breath from elsewhere

Some monstrous kindness, some unhuman care. 

So it goes, day to night; night to day

Wet to dry and back again. 

All taken care of, all fed, dry and warm, 

Then why does this ache in Jen’s heart start to form?