by Bill Tiepelman
Mermaid's Soliloquy
In a realm where the sunโs rays filtered through the depth of the ocean, casting a kaleidoscope of light onto the seabed, the mermaid Azura found solace in the heart of her underwater kingdom. Each day, as dusk fell and the water turned to a canvas painted with twilight hues, Azura would settle upon a throne of coral, her scales reflecting the dayโs last light. The sea creatures would gather, drawn not by duty but by love, to listen to Azura's soliloquy, a tradition as old as the tides. With a voice that rivaled the seraphs, she would sing of the ocean's wonders and secrets. Her words were like pearls, each one filled with wisdom and the history of the deep. Azuraโs songs spoke of love and loss, of sunken ships reclaimed by the sea, of the starsโ reflections on the calm waters at night. With every note, she told of her kinship with the moon, whose pull guided the waves and stirred the tides of her heart. As she sang, the sea itself seemed to listen, the waves hushing their relentless pursuit for just a moment. Even the tempests would pause at the edge of her domain, their fury quieted by the melody that sailed upon the currents. But one evening, as a storm raged above, Azuraโs voice faltered. The sea sensed her unease, and for the first time, her aquatic audience beheld a single tear trail down her cheek, its silver glint lost in the expanse of her world. It was then that she revealed her longing for something unknown, a yearning for a realm beyond her ownโa connection with the land that breathed above the tides. Beyond the reach of Azuraโs world, where the ocean kissed the land, there existed stories of the mermaidโs lamentโa melody so poignant that even the winds whispered of its beauty to those who walked on shores. It was on such an evening that a solitary wanderer, a painter known for capturing the seaโs essence, stood at the cliffโs edge, his soul as tempestuous as the surf below. As the storm subsided and the painterโs eyes searched the horizon, Azuraโs song found him. The notes wove through the sea spray and salt, an invisible thread pulling at the seams of his reality. The painter, entranced, began to recreate the melody on his canvas, his brushstrokes as fluid as the waves, his colors an echo of the mermaidโs scales. Days turned into nights, and nights into weeks, as Azura continued to share her soliloquy with the sea, unaware of the painter who captured her spirit from afar. Her voice bridged the gap between her world and his, the lament in her song growing deeper with each passing moon. It was the night of the full moon when change shimmered through the waters. Azuraโs song held a different timbre, a hopeful note that danced with the silver light. As the tide swelled, it carried her closer to the surface than she had ever dared to venture before. Above, the painter waited, as he had each dusk, but this time, with a canvas that portrayed not the sea, but the mermaid of the deep, her eyes closed in serene surrender. And as her head breached the surface, her eyes met the sight of her own essence on the canvas, a mirror to her soul. The mermaid and the painter, separated by form but united by art, found a silent understanding. In the days that followed, the beach became a sanctuary where two worlds metโa place where Azura could satisfy her curiosity of the landโs mysteries and where the painter found his muse in the flesh, or rather, in the scales. Their bond deepened, not through words, for they had no need for them. Their communication was in the silence, in the exchange of art and song, a conversation between sea and shore. The mermaidโs soliloquy evolved with time, no longer a lament but an anthem of unity and discovery. And for those who listened, the sea no longer sang of longing but of a harmony between two worlds, once distant, now close enough to touch. In the harmony of their silent understanding, the ocean's whispers carried a new story, a tale of a mermaid whose voice moved not just the tides, but the heart of one who captured her world in hues and lines. And in return, she inspired a symphony of color that resonated with the depths from which she came, a testament to the power of unseen threads that weave the tapestry of lifeโs most profound connections. ...And so the tale of Azura and the painter became one for the ages, a symphony of land and sea, art and music. The painter, with his gift, brought Azura's essence to the surface world, translating her aquatic ballet into forms the land-dwellers could adore. Those who heard the story were often found visiting unfocussed.com, seeking a piece of the magic to take home. The "Mermaid's Soliloquy" stickers became treasures, adorning the belongings of those who wished to carry a fragment of Azura's world with them wherever they went. Each sticker, served as a tangible whisper of the sea, a reminder of the mermaid's deep, resonant tale. For the ones who desired a larger canvas to capture the oceanโs vastness, the "Mermaid's Soliloquy" posters offered a window into Azura's soul. With every poster hung, her story unfolded in homes, bringing with it the serene grace of the deep blue. The posters, invite onlookers to dive into a world where the essence of the ocean's depths and the beauty of its inhabitants are captured in a single, stunning visual narrative.
