Born in the heart of autumn
Not in the summer months
Like she should’ve been.
The rain fell as mama pushed,
Or so she’d like to imagine,
In the name of the Father.

Where’s Daddy?
Drinking,
Smoking,
No matter.
Baby is swimming now,
Daddy’s little mermaid,
Dancing in the water,
But only in the shallow end,
The deep end is scary.
In the name of the Son.

Baby is bigger now,
She’s left behind her mermaid roots
For books
For love
For tremendous sorrow.
The deep end isn’t so scary anymore.
She’s been there,
Dragged down so deep
She can’t breathe.
She swims in her tears now.
And the Holy Ghost.