I'm feeling light and carefree,
Swimming effortlessly through the water.
I follow the soft murmur of the ocean current until I can see the flurry of colour below me where the water moves faster.
Raising my arms above my head,
I flick my tail and accelerate into the flow.
A thrill of adventure and joyful surrender dances through my body as the soft buffetings of the current carry me forward.
I feel held,
Invited by the water,
Like it's got something it can't wait to show me.
Ahead of me,
I can see a huge sea turtle gliding through the water in effortless arcs.
A giddy herd of seahorses appears alongside me,
Playful camaraderie twinkling between us as we swim.
We pass through a gorgeous coral reef where the vibrant orange pinks of the coral are alive with softly swaying sea anemones.
Soon,
We are being lifted up into a lush forest of emerald seaweed.
Soft feathery strands of green brush over my shoulders and outstretched fingers.
Following the long ropes of seaweed upwards,
I can see the distant twinkle of plankton in the sunshine.
I swim towards the light,
Pillars of gold shine through the azure blue water,
Feeling warm and comforting on my skin and scales.
Near the surface,
I can see a beautiful school of tiny fish dancing in a glimmering,
Shifting formation of colour.
A sigh of contentment rolls through my body as I lay back in a pool of sunshine,
Letting the ocean hold me in a slow,
Swaying embrace.
My tail sparkles in the sun,
Creating a cocoon of shimmering rainbow light around me.
My hair is ribboned with fine strands of seaweed,
And I can hear the gentle,
Soothing hum of the ocean current below me.
I feel a wonderful sense of unity with the sea,
A deep feeling of belonging and ease settles into and softens my muscles.
As evening falls and the light begins to fade,
I head towards the shore to sing with the other mermaids.
I hug the cliffs,
Letting them guide me towards the bay.
The water warms around me as I near the shore,
And the seabed feels rippled and firm.
The gentle pull of the waves welcomes me,
And I let myself be carried forward by the steady,
Rolling momentum of the tide.
Running my fingertips over the rocks in the shallows,
I can feel the silkiness of the stones here,
Velvety boulders punctuated with the smooth shells of limpets and periwinkles.
I pull myself up onto a soft cushion of algae and take my first deep breath of the cool,
Salty air.
A bright,
Invigorating energy flows through my chest.
As I breathe,
I feel my thoughts slowing,
And a serene clarity settles in me.
Tonight the ocean is dancing under the silvery light of a gorgeous full moon,
And the sky is clear and sparkling with stars.
I lean back on my rock,
Soften my eyes,
And slowly scan the horizon.
The night feels peaceful and vast.
The only sound comes from the waves rolling past me,
And breaking rhythmically on the wide,
Empty beach.
Each wave break sends a gentle sigh of relief and steadiness through my body.
I feel my shoulders slowly dropping,
And my belly rounding and softening as I relax.
From across the bay,
I hear a clear,
Resonant voice,
Rising and falling with the waves.
The mermaid is singing my favourite song,
And I feel its cosy familiarity resonate soothingly around me,
Like a warm blanket being draped over my shoulders.
Voices begin to join from all along the coastline,
Until the song is echoing off the cliffs,
Filling the beach with its gentle,
Rolling melody.
I take a deep breath of the night air and sing out over the ocean.
I look up at the moon and feel its beautiful light catching on the current of my voice and dancing through my body,
Filling every cell with a soft,
Silvery energy of connection,
Community and strength.
