The Mermaid and the Sailor

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight,
And what a dull night it had been.
His work wouldn’t end until morning light,
But through fair weather sloth was his sin.

Haphazardly he stared to the sea,
Dreaming of some distant shore –
The comfort of friends, love, and family,
A place he could live that much more.

“Oh, sorrow’s not a good look for you,”
A voice sang from outside of the boat.
The shock almost tripped him into the blue
Where he saw a young woman float.

Her hair was red as a flickering flame,
And her fair skin glowed bright ‘neath the stars.
Her eyes were seductive, her smile the same,
And he guessed that she’d traveled far.

“Why’s a girl like you in a place like this?”
He questioned, tongue sharp as a sword.
She laughed, in a tone that mirrored his,
“Won’t you help a young lady aboard?”

Without thinking he extended his hand;
One pull from her, he was spiraling down.
Gone were the sailor’s chances of land,
And his body would never be found.

The last thing he saw as his vision did fade
Was face and fin of that devious girl,
But strangely he couldn’t feel too dismayed –
Now he belonged to her world.