My Valentine is late, but I forgive. I fear she sought love much longer than just one day.
Her beauty calls out; poised vulnerable and innocent on the bed before me. I draw close, tracing her body, echoing her gentle curves. Abandoned, forlorn; savaged by recent tides and reckless lovers.
I learn her name; Sipadan Mermaid. Tattooed to her side like a branding, an ownership. She rests helpless, unable to raise herself and seek pastures new. Nestled amongst creatures she once viewed from above, becoming one with her sea bed.
She takes my breath. Marked by time and wrecked of former elegance, the ravaging scars are beauty marks of a lifetime.
It is only ever sweet dalliance, a holiday romance. She drifts away through the waters like a whispered memory. The Bornean Aphrodite. My ocean valentine.
I shall write my Mermaid, always I shall write.
*****
The Sipadan Mermaid began life as a Norwegian fishing boat, but was later used for diving and transport between islands in Malaysian Borneo. She was sunk on 19th May 2006 and has become an artificial reef with one particular claim to fame. Positioned close to Palau Mataking, the Mermaid boasts Borneo's only underwater post box. Divers can post letters and cards which are later collected stamped with the island's post mark and delivered worldwide.
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