Mermaid Tail

Lynn Finger

The river ripped my hands from the rocks,
white foam, foam white.
Desperate, I tried to right the kayak.
What goes under, under goes what,
the river ripped my hands.

Sky pixelated in blues as blue,
white foam, foam white.
Kayak sweeping away from view.
What goes under, under goes what,
sky pixelated in blue.

A mermaid’s tail breached the surge,
white foam, foam white.
She sent me safely to the sandy verge.
What goes under, under goes what,
The mermaid’s tail breached.

I call this form the “Lyric Repeat” 

The rhyme is:

1. Line rhyme A
2. Reflected line (first word, second word, then second word, first word) (this line is used in each stanza)
3. Line rhyme A
4. Another reflected line (different from the first one, but also used in each stanza)
5. A shortened line A.

This scheme can continue with as many stanzas as you want, but the second reflected line in each stanza is the same as all the others.