Melpomene’s Mermaid Toothpaste
By T.L. Tomljanovic
If I were to name my muse, I would anoint her first with omega-3 fatty acid fish oil. Slick and greasy, she might slip from my fingers, so I cup her in the folds of my t-shirt, a darkening and permanent stain upon my belly. Rubbing excess slick across my lips, I lick the remnants running my tongue over furry teeth yearning for the cooling clean sensation of Colgate or better yet the sting of saltwater burning away gingivitis and my hubris. After all, I’m only half a woman in dirty clothes with a dirty mouth and nothing to say.
T.L. Tomljanovic is a freelance writer based in Vancouver. She is a Pushcart Prize and Best Microfiction nominee. Find more of her work at tomljanovic.wordpress.com.