Mermaids On Parade
Out on the oceans where dolphins abound
A small band of mermaids is said to be found
They race with the porpoise, are friends with the whale
And watch from a distance as the great schooners sail.

The smallest and spriteliest maid of the band
Was a beautiful mermaid who had never seen land.
She was quick. She was clever and so curious, she,
That each day she'd swim farther from her home in the sea.

She had listened to stories of cities of gold
From the tales her Mer-Aunts and Grandmamas told.
So she swam from the ocean to the bays and the shores
And one day spied Norfolk, that city of lore.

"This city," she said, "is a magical place."
As she watched from the harbor in a small hiding space.
"It has dolphins and tugboats and sails, flags and docks,
And piers and pelicans, seagulls in flocks."

But the greatest of all that she loved from the start
Were the wonderful people who captured her heart.
They made music and paintings and sculptures and song.
For the first time she knew "This is where I belong."

She found a wise turtle, two hundred years old,
And said, "Wise Old Turtle, you're my best hope I'm told,
"You see," said the Mermaid, "I now want to dwell
With the people of Norfolk, can you cast the spell?"

"A spell?" blinked the turtle. "Oh, that spell I can cast
But you'll not return, life in the sea will be past."
And the spriteliest mermaid knew this could be true
And she'd miss all her family, just like me and like you.

But she also felt love, Norfolk's people the source.
And love, as you know, is a powerful force.
So with a flip of her tail and a skip of her heart
She landed in Norfolk, where her new life would start.

She soon became friends with the folks of the town.
The young, old, the poorest and folks of renown.
She sang them sweet songs, told her mer-mother's tales
And told how "Mer-grandmama swam with the whales!"

Her stories inspired the artists to meet
And soon mermaid sculptures were on every street.
And flags of the mermaids so bright and so pretty
Began to show up all through the city.

And so intertwined did Norfolk become
With the love of the mermaid you would think they were one
Wherever you looked, the mermaid was there.
To honor the friendship all Norfolkians share.

Now close your eyes and imagine the sight
Of mermaids appearing to all our delight
Open your eyes and a mermaid you'll see
To celebrate Norfolk, the arts and the sea.