Now that we’ve moved past -maid,
we like to call ourselves
merhags—cackling in
our water-in-motion classes
but really, we are so
relieved to stop the luring,
throw away the damn seashell bras,
sport a crisp haircut

We’ve moved into our
manatee stage and
we’re fine with that

Some of us have started
rock bands back at the grotto,
some teach sea glass mosaics,
but these days,
most of us
just mer

Australian-born Katrin Talbot’s Attached: Poetry of Suffix was just released from dancing girl press and she has five other chapbooks, two Pushcart Prize nominations, and quite a few chickens. www.katrintalbot.com