I don't care how much you've won recently, if this isn't on the front page come Monday, I will be positively mystified, good man! A wonderful, spellbinding write.

Take care and all the best.

Wonderful inspiration for a piece of creative writing. As Ben said, this deserves to win.
Well done.

Loved this piece. Full of imagery and mystic. Milly x

I really enjoyed this one Danny and, although the story is different it reminded me of a song from long before you were even born :)

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+balled+of+cursed+anna

Daniel,
Magnificent! I had long wanted to commemorate rusalki but you have done it so much better than I could hope to I feel satisfied with your work.
You might find great joy in the Rusalka trilogy by C. J. Cherryh.

This is so mystical and alluring yet it's a
sad story....nicely penned and I liked it
very much. Congrats non the win!

I can see why this truly striking piece won...
I mean it's hard to take an original idea and truly make it your own. They are suspected to be a sort of evil mermaid in modern culture but anyway..

towards the lady perched
naked, upon the rocks;
unmatted auburn curls
draped over her breasts,

This was the stranza that made it for me the images the words everything just hits you.

Stunning.

I think you have the seasons wrong in this poem, you contradict yourself in nearly every line if it’s Sludgy it’s not green. you say the morning then you talk about it being dark! and then you talk about the marshes come on mate you’re good at criticising other peoples work look at your own. ????part from That you have an imagination

The writer created very colorful and detailed world and led me through it with an engaging flow, especially the sequence "swirl,/ come,/ a kiss,/ an embrace," My favorite stanza was "as mayflies dance/ upon the carcasses, the /tips of her toes stir /the skin of the lake," It immersed me into the poem.