He Tells Me the Mangroves are Taking Over

by ALICE WANDERER

sinuous river,
islands, distant mountains
exotic to me
their aerial roots
like snorkels through mud

sliced open
a long lifetime ago
it won’t stop bleeding
the fertile body of the
Koo Wee Rup swamp

“Once was white sand.
“See that second ramp there
“half buried in mud?
“During Covid, the channels
“also started to clog.”

for market gardeners
silt soft as velvet
smothered the seagrass –
today’s killing to be made on
House and Land packages