Friday, February 14, 2014

Selkie

Salt from the ocean clings to your skin;
enticing, inviting your lover within.
Lost in your softness, enrapt in your spell—
kindling fire no human can quell.
Impetuous creature elusive to keep;
erotic desire is only “skin deep.”

© Ginny Brannan 2014









Written for the Mag #206 Image provided by Tess Kincaid
A selkie is a mythological creature found in Celtic folklore. The word derives from earlier Scots selich, (from Old English seolh meaning seal). Selkies are said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land. If a man steals a female selkie's skin she is in his power. 


5 comments:

  1. great last line ginny...one skin deep
    and lasting only moments once you give in...

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  2. Ginny, thanks for the poem and the bit of folklore you provided I found this very entertaining.

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  3. I love your opening lines, and your closing is masterful as well. (but do you have a typo in the title?)

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    1. Selkie is correct. From Celtic folklore, a creature (seal) who sheds her outer skin to take the form of a beautiful woman who would steal a man's heart, make him ache with want. She could not be kept forever though, and would go back to the sea, leaving him with broken heart and no desire for anyone but her. See link in fine print below image.

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  4. the smoothness of the rhymes and soft syllables go really well with the salt water seductive theme

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Thank you for reading my poetry and sharing your thoughts.