The Merman
by Corny Held
I went down to the ocean in the late afternoon
I sat down by the water which reflected the moon
It was black under mist and I couldn't look through
Just like ink flowing over the white of my shoes
It was always in motion and always alike
There was no chance for changes to give light to the night
Nothing would happen, and it tortured my mind
and while I was waiting I was drowning in time
I was watching the water foreboding some fear
When I saw a cute little green figure appear
His hair was long and blue, and when I looked in his eyes
I could see tenthousand stories from a thousand years passing by
He was wearing a shirt, made of shells and of weeds
and shyly he smiled, that I had to be pleased
His large hand reached for mine, and he said: follow me
I will show you what people are too blind to see
And the merman and I, we then came to a town
where the people were dead, but walking around
They did not look at us, nor back, nor ahead,
and apparently they didn't even feel bad
and the merman explained: "Where they are they will stay
for they have never learned how to find a new way
Some folks don't feel when they drown, it is strange,
and in their sunken world they all wait for a change
I wanted to waste my time watching the water at the seaside
Waiting for changes
I sat down by the water which reflected the moon
It was black under mist and I couldn't look through
Just like ink flowing over the white of my shoes
It was always in motion and always alike
There was no chance for changes to give light to the night
Nothing would happen, and it tortured my mind
and while I was waiting I was drowning in time
I was watching the water foreboding some fear
When I saw a cute little green figure appear
His hair was long and blue, and when I looked in his eyes
I could see tenthousand stories from a thousand years passing by
He was wearing a shirt, made of shells and of weeds
and shyly he smiled, that I had to be pleased
His large hand reached for mine, and he said: follow me
I will show you what people are too blind to see
And the merman and I, we then came to a town
where the people were dead, but walking around
They did not look at us, nor back, nor ahead,
and apparently they didn't even feel bad
and the merman explained: "Where they are they will stay
for they have never learned how to find a new way
Some folks don't feel when they drown, it is strange,
and in their sunken world they all wait for a change
I wanted to waste my time watching the water at the seaside
Waiting for changes
