OBJECT: Mermaid Figurine

BODY OF WATER: Dead Horse Bay

Tonight I walked

to where the sea topples

onto the bay.

Knuckle-deep in murky waters,

                          a porcelain figurine  

 reclined

              in an ebbing tide.

Across its eroding surface,

sparkling minerals

juxtaposed

against its hollow navel.

A licked finger

                                        swabbed in the air

reveals the brokenness between

porcelain and flesh

is palpable, perhaps relatable,

but only at arm’s length

and in small occasional doses.

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Hugo J. Quizhpi was born and raised in NYC.  He served in the US Air Force Reserves, where he received recognition for duties rendered during 9/11 and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  His work is inspired by his experiences in the military and his indigenous Ecuadorian roots.  His work has been published in Elohi Gadugi Journal, The Author's Voice, and in WLRN Public Radio.