mermaids singing
though not to me
only to august males
and soon their chants
mesmerize, enchant
until those naïve ears
become in tune
they are captured blind
no longer have any fight
then ride combing white hair
waves that are blown back
and cage them in water
turned black and white
they forever linger
in the sweet breath
of spell-binding mermaids
in the chains of seaweed
turned red and brown
until one cloudy day
they are awakened
by human voices calling
mermaids find themselves
drowning in the brine