The Fishermans Tale

Happy Thursday! 

Today I have a special treat for you all…some may remember that a while back I wrote a poem that became a song called ‘As I Sail To You’. I had written it for a Flash Fiction challenge Write 4 Ten that is hosted by Donna B McNicol. The prompt was ‘on a sailboat’ and I was surprised by what I had written in the ten minutes after reading the prompt. I was so surprised and feeling reckless that I asked on Twitter if someone would write some music to go with it. I was shocked and amazed and very very ecstatic when Richard form the band A Sea With 3 Stars did just that! 

Anyway, just over a week ago I was compelled to write the song again, but from the mermaids perspective and after doing so, I recruited Anna Loy to perform it for me. Check her out on Fiverr. I wanted to post it straight away but didn’t want to do so without an accompanying tale. So here it is…

The Fisherman’s tale

Standing at the helm of the fishing boat, his gaze never leaving the horizon, he stood tall as he watched with anticipation for a glimpse of her.  He wasn’t sure if she was real or something his sun-addled-wind-swept-salty brain had created to make the long days at sea bearable but he looked on regardless of his doubts. 

Each morning as he boarded his fishing boat he told himself that she couldn’t be real, he was a fool to believe that she was, wasn’t he?  Each evening as he alighted his fishing boat he told himself that she was the only thing in his life that was real, wasn’t she?

The moment she appeared in sight all his senses were ignited. Blinking into the sunlight as her beauty shone out to him, her long golden hair and eyes of blue, he could only watch as she weaved and writhed effortlessly through the water towards him.  He was mesmerised as she sang out to him, at first they had been tales of the sea, but now it was a song for him and as each note floated to him his heart swelled with love. How he longed to touch, to taste, to smell her, to hold her in his arms and feel the warmth of her body. Hypnotised by her beauty and her song he longed to join her in the ocean. 

His family had always been fishermen, his father, his grandfather, his great grandfather and every generation before that and tales had been told to wide eyed boys of escapades on the waves, of sea monsters, of men gone mad from sunstroke and of mermaids and sirens who would lure fisherman to their death.

Every day as he sailed to her he ignored all he knew, he would fish and she would sing and it was as if their souls were joined as one, but each evening as the sun set he would return to land, fighting the urge to dive deep into the cool blue sea for eternal happiness with her. He had his own sons to raise and to teach and to warn of such things and he couldn’t leave them without a father. His father, his grandfather, his great grandfather and every generation before that had always returned home each night, and each had left her on the horizon as she sang to them.

So here they are both songs! Firstly, the original as performed by Richard, which the more I listen to it the more I think his voice matches it well, the very laid back calmness that I feel my fisherman has with a hint of something more.

As I sail to you

Early in the morning, through the wind and the rain

My body is beaten by nature, without any refrain

I battle the seas, with my sails and my net

Just to get close to you at the place that we met

With rhythm and sway

On the cool of the blue

She creaks and she croaks

As I sail to you

With your long golden hair and a tail of green

Seashells can’t hide what I’ve already seen

You sing like an angel from heavens above

As the wind carries it to me, my heart fills with love

With rhythm and sway

On the cool of the blue

She creaks and she croaks

As I sail to you

As the night draws to a close and a chill fills the air

I wonder aloud, if you really were there

With my boat laden with fish after a day out at sea

I remember the song that you once sang to me.

I asked Anna to perform the song from the mermaids perspective and I think she has done this well.

So her song to him….this was the easiest way for me to do it, so please click on the link!

Link >>>> As I Swim To You

As I swim to you

Early in the morning as the waves crash against the shore

I am carried by the current to the same place as before

I battle my mind it’s not the way it should be

But whenever I’m with you my heart is set free

With rhythm and sway

In the cool of the blue

I weave and I writhe

As I swim to you

With your ship and your legs, and your desire for me

I will never believe those who say it can’t be

I sing from my heart so you know that it’s true

As the wind carries my love, directly to you

With rhythm and sway

In the cool of the blue

I weave and I writhe

As I swim to you

With rhythm and sway

In the cool of the blue

I weave and I writhe

As I swim to you

As the night draws to a close and I know you must leave

I fade into the ocean as I struggle to breathe

I am lost without you and I wave you goodnight

Returning to greet you with the first morning light

With rhythm and sway

In the cool of the blue

I weave and I writhe

As I swim to you

With rhythm and sway

In the cool of the blue

I weave and I writhe

As I swim to you

I hope you like them both and feedback/comments welcomed below :)