SELKIE SPELL
Aye, come an’ romp the waves wi’ me
In this abandoned ride;
Passion flies and washes free
On my tempestuous tide-
I love inclemently.
Through grasp and gasp, through cry and sigh-
First love of all your life am I.
Plunge from your earthbound, human shore,
Beneath my crystal swell,
Embrace the spume and beg for more,
And I shall treat ye well—
Aye, as the poets tell.
By kiss by kiss, by pearly breast-
In all your life ye’ll lo’ me best.
I cast my silken pelt for few,
Take on my human phase;
And all your dreams I might imbue
To last ye all your days—
If what ye fear were true.
By stroke and thrust, by sigh and splash-
If ye’re my lad then I’m your lass.
Aye, roll wi’ me in weightless grace,
And match me wi’ your lust;
The smile upon my bonnie face
Will light ye to your dust;
I’ll be your first embrace.
In splash by splash, in flesh by fur-
Your vision of our time shall blur.
But I would not encumber ye,
My bonnie boy so braw-
And so I waive a selkie’s plea
And cast ye on the shore,
For your humanity-
In salty skin and fevered moan-
I take ye, now to be my own.
But now ye’ve loved a silky maid
It’s best that you begone;
Your vision of our time shall fade
I’ll not be greeting long-
Your peace I’d never trade.
By love and pity for our state-
I’ve milked ye well—now wipe the slate
