Mermaid Bar

There was no moon, black sky on the night I jumped from the bridge toward the river I swear, I saw silver starlight On the water's surface, a shimmer Pounded the pulse, I couldn't finish Didn't hear a splash or feel the cold Was full of bubbles for a minute Turned to ice, then cycloid scales of gold Turned to ice, then cycloid scales of gold My lungs deflated, my fingers weaved Ribs separated for gills to breathe Ran my tongue over my sharp, new teeth Panicked, swimming, collapsed in the reeds Taken with the current to the sea Tied disrupting desperate dreams My belly empty, body weak I had no sound, no way to speak I had no sound, no way to speak I was close to quiet death again When new instincts woke me from the spell I killed a diamondback terrapin Was most scared of my awful self I woke up on cold stones, broken glass Winter beach at Long Island's end I found that I could still maneuver Slip slide on the sand and the cement Slip slide on the sand and the cement I opened sardine dream mermaid bar We served most oysters and caviar Leave your seashells in our tall tip jar There are more like me, I swear there are Come for scallops, come to hear our song Come if you're in awful, bad trouble Come if you're certain you don't belong Some that fall don't land in bubbles 'Cause some that fall don't land in bubbles (bubbles) Some that fall don't land in bubbles Some that fall don't land in bubbles (bubbles) Some that fall don't land in bubbles