I am scribed in Scottish folklore
like finfolk and mermaids
a mythological creature
is how I am portrayed.
A curious seal like being
only fisherman believe
I surface merely once a year
on each midsummers eve.
If you're ever in the highlands
or around the hebrides
you may just catch a fleeting glimpse
as I frolic in the sea.
You have seen me on the beaches
but I'm different on dry land
it's there I shed my magic skin
and change into a man.
A handsome young adonis
with the power to disarm
and dazzle any girl I wish
with my good looks and charm.
I take her softly by the hand
she comes reluctantly
then lead her gently through the waves
where she will marry me.
"'Tis a selkie life for you my dear
together we shall lie
beneath the rolling celtic sea
until the day we die."
Author notes
http://allpoetry.com/poem/4063057. picture courtesy of the "orkneyjar" website.
In a list
A contest entry
- Just give me your best poems by Through Your Iris.
525 points, ended February 20, 2007, 9 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Give Me Your Best Shot by tawk.
425 points, ended February 27, 2007, 16 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Give Me Your Personal Best (Prewrites Allowed) by aGent Lemon.
360 points, ended March 18, 2007, 44 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Give me beauty, or give me death!! Just give me SOMETHING! by grrlshadow.
450 points, ended March 22, 2007, 16 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - 7 Options for the Soulful Poet by Athena of Starlite.
750 points, ended April 19, 2007, 23 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Raven Qualifier - General: Free Verse, Rhyme and Everything Else by Raven Contest.
450 points, ended August 1, 2007, 140 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - I Feel So Loved by broken-colours.
500 points, ended June 23, 2007, 17 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - give me your favourites (prewrites allowed). by aeolia.
500 points, ended July 29, 2007, 57 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - 2006 Prewrites by Virgoan.
500 points, ended October 7, 2007, 46 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Most commented :D by leslielovesthomas.
300 points, ended October 23, 2007, 14 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Your most popular by Beating.
425 points, ended October 26, 2007, 32 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - TEN THOUSAND POINTS OF RHYME! (now 15,000) - Part 4 Love by cricketjeff.
1250 points, ended December 27, 2007, 51 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Pimp up my rhymes by leander.
400 points, ended December 15, 2007, 26 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Options, big points, several winners. by Willowhaunt.
1000 points, ended January 16, 2008, 19 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Anything (ENTER IF YOU DARE)---winner takes all by AutumnsFlame.
551 points, ended March 15, 2008, 9 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Multi-option Contest by Deus Proteje.
600 points, ended February 1, 2008, 17 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Fire,Water,Earth,Air by Flight of Dragons.
550 points, ended February 7, 2008, 14 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Triple My Double-Gold by Tangled Angle.
450 points, ended March 7, 2008, 8 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - The Ultimate Goal by N e a r.
20000 points, ended June 2, 2008, 946 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - A quick one for the best! by Peachy.
1800 points, ended July 6, 2008, 36 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Best Poem You Have Ever Written by Cherokee.
300 points, ended July 31, 2008, 36 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - .-~*~-. Mythology .-~*~-. by xxRainbowDawnxx.
500 points, ended September 1, 2008, 19 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Rhymed prewrites only ... by ecrivain01.
750 points, ended November 14, 2008, 61 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Anything Goes by piccola.
900 points, ended December 26, 2008, 28 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Gold rhymed poems only. by ecrivain01.
550 points, ended February 11, 43 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Pre-Write Extraganza No Limit by poets whisper.
900 points, ended February 16, 96 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Tell us the story (In rhyme) by cricketjeff.
3500 points, ended March 28, 67 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Your Favorite Rhyme by piccola.
900 points, ended March 9, 68 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Waterbabies, and other magical creatures by Emmyb.
800 points, ended April 6, 13 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Rhyme Prewrite contest :) by Ami.
550 points, ended July 7, 94 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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wow this is really good and also an interesting write
Thank you for entering my contest and Good luck
-♥Amy♥ -
a magical entry. romantic and intellegent write well done. fantastuc. emmy
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Thank you for your entry in the contest. I enjoyed reading this again ... and congratulations on all the trophies you've already won. A fine piece of writing.
Sue and Jeff
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thanks for entering
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wow i just kept going and going and going past all of your trophies ... congratulations and thank you for entering in my contest. folklore is great.
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Very nice ...
and very nicely done.
Thanks for entering.
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Very good write.
Thanks for entering!
Love, Raneika
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The story? Where's the story? A ballad or a narrative tells a story with the plot the main element. This is a lovely introduction or tribute, but where's the story?
celtic queen -
I just watched a movie about a selkie ... nice job here. thank you for entering. Scottish folklore is wonderful. So colorful and imaginative. We want it to be real
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Goodness me I know a lot about the Scot's they do like their mythological creatures of the sea don't they! Is the selkie a friend of the Loch Ness Monster?
Beautifully wrote, nice rhyme. -
nice children's poem. Unfortunately I'm looking for something else.
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the link above does not go anywhere, unfortunately I have to dq from the contest as I cannot tell what your other entry is.
Rory -
this is a great piece of writing, as demonstrated by the comments and trophies it's won. A very enjoyable read.
Rory
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This was pretty good, I'm impressed.
And I'm so picky when it comes to rhyme poems...very good.
-
WOW WOW WOW WOW
Ummmm. . .not much to say. Your words (and trophies) speak for themselves. One excellent read.
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It's sweet
It's sweet and I enjoyed it, but you tended to rhyme much more strongly in some parts than in others, I felt in some parts the rhyme was a little weak.
Things you did well:
.Rich language
.It was pleasant to read, and light hearted
.You bothered to do as I asked and put the option number in your author notes (only about 40% of people did this)
.The last few verses were fantastic, and I loved the ending (this part was very well rhymed also)
.You clearly know how to use punctuation to aid the poem's flow
Things to work on:
.The rhyming was a tad weak in places
All in all, very good poem, good luck in my contest.
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Very very nice! What a sweet little rhyme we have here.... My ONLY complaint--- "i'm" should be changed to "I'm".... Other than that, I really enjoyed reading this... Good work! Thank you for entering my contest!
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Excellent poem! I love the flow, rhyme scheme, content...this is in essence a flawless piece. I love the emotion and imagery created here...very well done!
Keep Quilling,
Whiskey -
This is a wonderful piece, such and elegant graceful flow to it. A lovely tale you have told here. Best of luck in the contest with it
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Thank you for your second entry in our contest, a very enjoyable story.
Please join us in our other contests in the series.
Al the best Sue and Jeff
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This is quite a great flow that you've captured in this rhyme poem here, along with a good fantasy story
Thank you for entering the contest, I wish you the best of luck!
Leander -
This is a really good and well thought out poem. I like it because it's different and the story is very sweet and fascinated. You had my attention all the way through. I like it. Very unique. great job!
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Great write! It's beautiful I can see why it won so many trophies!!! Thank you for entering and good luck!!!!
Leslie
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beautiful poem and congrats on the many trophies good luck with this contest though there are many good entries
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Beautiful- it definately deserved all those trophies. It was simple and yet complex enough to tell a short story. I didn't know what a selkie was and you will recieve an applause because of it. They sound fascinating and like a poets dream subject. Thanks for entering the lovely read and giving me the chance to look up the creature
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Beautifully written!Congratulation for all the recognition your poem has received.I am known to love everything to do with Scottish folklore so your title caught my attention.I was actually quite surprised by the mention of the selkies,they belong in my favourites magical beings. The poem is not very impressive,but it has a rather simple beauty.
I wonder,how did you get inspired for this? -
"I'll take her softly by the hand
she'll come reluctantly~
then lead her gently through the waves
where she will marry me." - Beautiful lines.
This is my first time to read this poem. I will be re-reading all the entries like I usually do.
Initial score = 9.9
Thanks for sharing and keep on writing my friend.
VIRGOAN -
I love selkie stories! Anything with a celtic tie to it steals my attention immediately. Thank you for entering my contest, and the best of luck to you!
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Congrats on all the trophies you received. Good job and good luck.
Luv,
Candy
Contest Holder
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Brilliant!
I loved everything about this poem! Bravo!
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I love fantasy writes and this one I was really caught up in.
Great Job!
Thank you for entering and Good Luck!
debbie
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Awesome! I'm not as well-versed in legends and mythology as I'd like to be, but I do know of selkies, and it's not like you need to know much to understand the poem. It was great in its simplicity.
Ten nonexistent points for the Adonis reference... also, great [and non-forceful!] rhyme! This is definitely going on my finalist list! -
thank you for entering and good luck in the contest with this lovely write
-
Well done....I really liked the ending.
-
I like this one. I have always liked the story of selkies. I liked the way you made the poem flow from one stanza to the next and the ending was very good.
-
this is pretty and cute. I think it's kind of cute that you referenced greek mythology though. anyway, nice job. I especially liked the ending. thanks for entering my contest!
Jen -
No wonder this is your favorite poem - it's amazing! It flows marvelously & I love the story you've told, plus the imagery is very vivid and fresh. Thanks for entering!
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One of observation on flow, in line 8, I'd take out the "mid" and just leave it as "summer's eve." Not only do you get away from the whole Shakespearean thing (which you definitely want to do here) but the flow is more accurate with the change. (I understand that line 7 will then have to be reconciled to match the change, content speaking.. so maybe it isn't worth it to you make the change as it just creates a new problem. I'll leave it to you to decide if the new problem in content is easily fixable.)
Continuing on that note, you begin to lose me in the third stanza. I understand that poets will experiment with rhyme schemes sometimes, but something that gets my ire up when I am reading is when a poet has me locked into an established flow and then just drops the ball. Don't get me wrong others, my co-judge in this qualifier perhaps, may not mind that sort of thing. But it is definitely a pet peeve.
You pick the ball right back up in the fourth stanza, however, and the rest of the piece flows out nicely and naturally. For the sake of the scheme I would consider some serious work to stanza three.
Fortunately, the content of this pieces rescues it from any sort of critique. You have crafted a complete story that speaks in a lucid, intelligent, and (most importantly in this case) enjoyable manner. Even including the 3rd stanza, this piece was a pleasure to read. I will look forward to reading it again as the contest progresses.
Thanks for your entry.
~Das -
very good I loved this it was sweet and touching I wish you luck in the contest.
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Floorboards!! This is quite different from the last poem of yours I've read.
I enjoyed the consistent flow your meter creates, and I felt the rhyme scheme was expertly executed. The only thing I recommend for next time is to limit your use of punctuation at the end of your lines; it helps the bounce of a rhyme, certainly, but too much of it can make a poem seem choppy, and therefore quickly kill it.
Congratulations on your previous wins; they were well deserved. Thank very much for entering, and good luck! -
This had a nice flow in it. Like watching the water your story unfolds. Good work. Definetly had some of the imagery I am looking for. Thanks for entering my contest and good luck, K
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good write
this is a very good write. thank you for entering my contest. good luck.
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Read the comp notes!!!! How many gold medals do you want ya greedy bastard?
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Nice flow, good luck
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Fabulous write, excellent flow and very clever wording as well. A very impressive write indeed.
s and best wishes always... ~Genie~
Note: Due to high volume of entries, I'll be using a scoring system to judge after the contest closes.
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I can see why it is your favorite,it is written very well,and you definitely do have talent...this was awesome I wish I had something more contructive to say but honestly I am speechless ty for entering this in my contest....
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thank yo ufor entering with this very good and creative write but unfortunately it does not fit within the 50 word limit stated in the rules
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its a good mysterious poem, i liked the imagery and i normally dont like these poems. thank you for entering and good luck in the contest
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this was a really great write..your words were powerful strong and emotional..this poem flowed really well and it wa s a pleasure to read keep writting your talented and good luck in the contest.
XTashaX -
This is both enchanting and romantic. Such creative and sweet words. Great job. Best of luck.
~Oka/KC -
A really beautiful and mythical write, and I do hope you haven't tempted to many into those waters, they can be quite cold. A wee beautius rhyme, folklore knows nay bounds. (Not sure how much of that makes sense). A lovely write and thanks for sharing. Take care XxX
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Really great poem. Good luck.
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Good flow and voice. Made the myth magical and the poem enchanting. Good last lines and well worded and soft, excellent phrasing. Loved this. Thanks for your entry in Prewrites & thanks for sharing. Best wishes.
~Ryan~ -
this was very good! excellent work! I really enjoyed reading it! its an excellent fantasy poem! the few trophies this piece won are definitely well deserved!!! excellent work and the best of luck in my contest!!!!!!!!!
-Steve- -
I allowed you to be able to enter all3 contest on the hopes that you would enter different poems in each not the same one, sorry bu I have to DQ you. feel free to enter something else.
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This was very interesting. I really lik fantasy poetry and I'm glad that you like to write it. This was a very imprssive poem and you should be proud. It was also very enchanting (Get it?? 'Cause you wrote about fantasy. Tee hee hee!!) how you described exactly what you do with the girls that you like. Plus, I really like how you used the word frolic, I like it when people use a wide vocabulary in writing of any kind. You've penned a great write, here.
Keep Writing
~~Meri~ -
Wow, this had wonderful flow. I loved reading this poem. You should keep up your great writing.
Thank you for entering my contest and good luck.
~Alix -
Wow! Beautifully written piece. Your imagery is excellent and your lines flow smoothly and with ease. A wonderful write! Thanks for your entry!
~Lori -
Fantastic imagery, a brilliantly penned piece, evident in the abundent amount of trophies you have won for this piece. Beautiful and creative, thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for your entry in my contest.
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Thank you for your contest submission as well as for following the rules. This piece is adorable, with a sing-song quality and an easy flow. The story is wonderful and I enjoyed reading this, it is not a story I know. I would suggest capitalizing the 'i's in here, as it is preferred even in lower case writes.
Best of luck in this and all of your endeavors. Hetohke'e * 
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Very good, mystical feeling... I would give you all the typical flattering comments but I'm sure you've already heard it all on this one.
The thing I would suggest is, removing it from some of the old contests that you didn't place in. Contest judges may not consider your poem just because it's in so many others. -
what is the creature called? great write. The imagreywas great. thanks for entering and best of luck
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I love it a mystical lore of the Scotts land. A discribtive write full of imagrey and loved the flow. thank you for entering this awesome write in my contest
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Nicely done!
Sorry for such a short comment. So many to judge =/
Thank you for the entry, though!
-System of Cyanide
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Awesome awesome.
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This has lovely rhyme and a nice subject, but how many contests is it in? Crikey! A nice effort, thankyou for entering.
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thanx for the entry
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Very enchanting. Indeed it must surely be one of your best. This is lyrical. I can even hear a flute played behind these words. I love the story-line and the mythical magic that swells within after reading. You should be very proud of this particular poem. It is easy to see why it has received such high honors here at AP. Excellent. YOU are a contender! Thank you for this wonderful treat of Scottish folklore in my challenge. I wish you the best.
Much Love ♥
Renee
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this is a nice poem. thanks for entering my contest
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ahhh this is a beautiful piece, thank you so much. I am Scottish, born and raised, and I always loved the tales of selkies more than any other! ""'Tis a selkie life for you my dear-
together we shall lie;
beneath the rolling celtic sea,
until the day we die."
this is my favorite part...Marvelous entry and thank you again. Good Luck in the contest!
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Well, this poem convinces me you can write too. It is pleasantly melodic and has some nice images, I like it. Also, I know what it must mean to you, even though in my case I couldn't pick one poem that made me this I could write I think that such a piece would be important to anyone who could. Thank you for entering and for following the rules.
~Diana -
Well done
I love reading poetry about legends and folklore, especially if they're as well written as this piece. Definately one of the best I've read around here. Wonderful work
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Very tastefully done and thank you very much for entering this contest. I should be able to add much more of a comment on this later on since there are so many other submissions.
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Awesome Write
This is very good. I think that you are an awesome poet. This poem should be proof of that. Great Poem. Good Luck in my contest.
Luke
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I LOVE SELKIES!
Brilliant, i adore selkie legends X
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It's adorable and so are you... even if you do post your friggin' name on the poem doofus. LMAO!
-
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sorry.
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ahhh I loved it, great rhythm and rhyme. I loved the feel of this one, soft and alluring and the feeling of history and the mystical. great write my friend Bunny
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i love the unconventionalness of this poem it reminds me of my gcse english days where we had to read poems in scottish and african slang lol well done its lovely good luck in my contest
laura xxx -
This is beautiful and so full of imagery. I so loved it. Excellent flow and content. Good luck in my contest
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I'm really upset now, because this is a really lovely poem (and I mean that) but the 3rd stanza doesn't rhyme, and ruins the effect of the whole poem. This could be really great - really really really great - if you sorted that out!
Thankyou for entering my contest, and good luck.
Katie -
Alex congrats on the trophy hon!!
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this is cool
I like the Scottishness in here, lol. When you used rhyme, it really flowed very well and that was very well done. Interesting subject matter that you dealt with and you did a great job on this. Good luck!
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I enjoyed reading this. I can't say I've read another poem on a selkie before, and I think this suited it quite well.
It actually brought Puff the Magic Dragon to mind.. it had a very lyrical quality.
Thanks for taking the time to enter and best of luck in the contest. I'm really sorry about the delay in commenting.
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I like this a lot! Reminds me of the Little Mermaid a bit, lol, but in a good way.
I really, really like this piece.
Thank you for your entry,
Best of luck! -
This is a really well written poem,I like it alot..
Its beautiful..Can you please add what it says in the rules to your Author notes though or you will be DQ..
good luck -
Fantastic! Selkies are quite intruiging creatures; all the tales I've read of them were of the women, so it's nice to read one from a male selkie. Lovely poem! Great rhyme scheme and flow. Thanks for entering this great piece into my contest! Good luck!
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I'M VERY SORRY BUT I HAVE POSTED THIS CONTEST TWICE. AS A RESULT, I AM GOING TO DELETE THIS COPY OF THE CONTEST (AS IT HAS FEWER ENTRIES). I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD RE-ENTER THIS POEM IN THE OTHER COPY OF THIS CONTEST.
THANKYOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP! DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. -
I love this poem. It is a romantic poem filled with beautiful imagery. I cannot understand why I have not read this before. It was definitely my loss. I love it! Thank you for sharing this and best of luck in the contest. You've got my vote!
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Merry meet again,
I read this way back when and I loved it. I read it now and loved it even more. Just a wonder retelling of the selkies.
Amythest -
a very good poem, with a nice rhymescheme, congrats on all the other trophies you have won with this. thank you very much for your entry, and good luck in the contest
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oh i really like this... the myth of the selkie-folk.
Such is the folklore of the Orkneys. A lovely tale nicely told... sometimes I wonder of the truth in some of these folklore tales.
Bravo my friend.
Ann
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this is a WEONDERFUL write. i love it, thanks for entring!!
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Cool
I like the selkie thingo..but its already won a contest, sorry. -
How'd I miss this Alex? Congratulations Sweetie!
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can you please put in your authors comment what family member you want to be, this is a lovely poem dear poet well done good luck in my contest
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great!
I have to say that though this type of poetry may not be my cup of tea, like I told someone else today, I know a great poet when I read one - and you are! Very very professional, witty, descriptive, yada, yada, yada - I can tell already this is going to be a tough one to judge!! thanks for entering!
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This, for me, deserves to win!!!!!!!!!!
I really loved this so much!!!! Beautiful, and the ending? Magic. -
I must admit that I have never heard of this one so the poem is fresh and holds the reader's interest all the way through and ended up so typical of English folklore according to my limited knowledge of it.
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