Poetry by Courtney Liu: Response to Three Works by Mary Kamerer
Fathoming the Little Mermaid: A Journey Through Soul and Sea, inspired by Three Works by Mary Kamerer: "Plunging into the Deep," "Fathoming Her Future," and "Rebirth"
Find Mary Kamerer’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.
From Courtney Liu: At the first gaze of the Three Works of Art by Mary Kamerer, I felt instantly mesmerized. The paintings talked about the connection and the inspiration which the author associated with The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. They are exquisite works of art with hidden meanings of spirituality. They showed the fusion of human and water that is of contrast, the statement of overwhelming emotion, layered by feminine desire for exploration and emotional depth, which aligned with the seemingly contrary scene of the little mermaid’s love-and-adventure-driven inclination on land. With the little mermaid’s rise from the water and the woman’s diving into it, the tension of contrast is powerful, but with an odd sense of overlapping resemblance. Both are soul-searching for the unknown forthcoming, which, in the end, are uplifted with metamorphosis.
Fathoming the Little Mermaid: A Journey Through Soul and Sea
Courtney Liu I recognized her—in the gallery. Three paintings of The Little Mermaid’s soul were the metamorphosis of Andersen’s writing. They represented intricate beauty, laced with quiet grace— the weight of sorrow and grief mingled with the ocean’s dual nature of hope and uncertainty. They were speaking to me in magical synchronization with the storm within my inner world lately. I had just emerged from post-breakup chaos. The feeling of abandonment, followed by a subtle sense of loss, was like love’s lingering sea foam— with the Daughter of the Air whispering in my ear. I felt the irony, the hidden meaning, and an epiphany. This was no coincidence. The cool breeze brushed through my state of being. In those passing moments, there was a beautiful echo— like an enchanting, tuneful love theme submerged into unknown infinity. It felt like the calling of guiding spirits. From there, I plunged into the deep. My attempt was to capture the wonder, to obtain the wisdom and the knowing. They emerged through the symbolic triptych— depicting a divine trial that unlocked the deep yearning of sacred desires, entwined with a restless soul’s quest for meaning. Fathoming my future—how could it be easy? Yet inspiration spoke to me without hesitation. I should look forward to the forthcoming. A mixture of fear, excitement, and the urge to begin anew took over me. A healing journey was slowly forming. I had a heart for love that drove me through a swim of unforeseeable misery. Perhaps this is how life is meant to be. It begins with a pure-hearted, youthful dream. Then come the struggles and obstacles— they overwhelm and drown, as if the Sea Witch’s dark curse had returned with its forceful pull. I was left with nothing but the mentorship of survival instinct. And that instinct, in time, taught me the beginning of spirituality. I thought of The Little Mermaid—of her love and loyalty. For love, she sacrificed her voice in exchange for a chance at being human and bonding with the prince. Her eventual outcome was a camouflaged tragedy that transcended into spiritual ascension. The depth of her love and integrity suddenly dawned on me. I was no longer drowning. Surrender became clarity. The love lost was an experience traded for growth. Finally, my rebirth began— layered with positive thinking, gifting my mourning with nostalgic memories. Maybe this is what it means to love fully, without insecurity— an immortal imprint.