Soldier and The Mermaid

When he saw her sitting down there on the rocks,
thought it musta been somekind of a dream
Her voice swept up and away on the wind
as she sang to the depths of the sea,

stories of seasnakes and tropical fish,
miles of mountains down in the deep,
the young soldier didn't know how to react
so he stood there a while, took off his hat

and he coughed nervously, and said,

"Beautiful lady, tell me your name
so that I when I am gone it will stay on my lips
and when I return I will come to this place
and find you, remind you of what we could be"

She saw the honesty in his eyes,
said softly to him, "Do not trouble your heart,
for I'm not one of those who walks on the land
and I go to where new tides take me"

Emboldened she whispered her name in his ear,
felt for a moment the warmth of his cheek,
then took to the waves, leaving forever
the soldier who loved her

And he took her name with him to faraway lands
until battle was over and homewards he went,
down by the rocks at the edge of the sea
he called her, and he heard her song on the wind