by elzebrook

Have you heard the story of the Ephydriad?
They found her in the pool
She had no clothes on
She said the chlorine made her sick.
They took her out
She had long, gold hair, like mine
But hers turned seaweed-colored at the ends
She said her name was Orielle
It wasn’t.
She was far too smart for that.
(It’s just Lorelei mixed up)
She said she was lost
Didn’t know how to get home.
They took her to a river.
It didn’t work.
They took her home.
She lived in the tub, mostly

Tired of the water bills,
Not knowing what else to do, they
took her to a Hollywood man.
He said she had a mermaid face
and her teeth were like pearls
He was wrong.
She was an Ephydriad
And they were scales, like shark’s.
She played a naiad, dryad, angel, pixie
Victim, villain, daughter, lover, mother, undine
But not an Ephydriad.

Years passed.
Her hair turned all gold
Then gold with silver
She said her name was Orielle so much
Even she believed it
More years swam by, quick silver fishes
She forgot what an Ephydriad was
She forgot she was one.

She went to the coast to film
The North Coast, to Trinidad
The seagulls wheeled and cried
The breeze smelled of salt
She climbed the Head
The sun sparkled on the water
Like fish scales
She turned to the Sea and

Remembered

Have you heard the story of the Ephydriad?
She went home.