Far Away & Río Lagartos

 

  

 

FAR AWAY
 
 
to the south
    bayous     
ruptured oil well
tar balls soiling
protected wetlands
sea sponges
crabs, fish,
algae and octopus
 
     —coral reefs
 
 
RÍO LAGARTOS
 
 
thatch-roofed hut
with stick walls
crickets were singing
 
village posada
agua
hibiscus tea
 
Yucatan, Mexico
ragged mangrove swamp
salt encrusting dead stumps
 
black coral
 
fishing for octopus
 
a child sitting on blue steps
 
blue-black silt
sea grass
 
pelican rookery awash in crude
 
oil rig spill
in the south
 
stained tortoise eggs

Ilona Martonfi's Blue Poppy, a first book of poems, was published with Coracle Press in 2009. Poet, editor, educator, creative writing teacher. Founder, producer/host of The Yellow Door and Visual Arts Centre Poetry and Prose Readings. Co-founder, producer/host of the annual Lovers & Others.