We glow light deadly.
We be see-thru blue-bell floating
Laugh at your thick meat hang kicks
Tend tenderly to our tentacles. Ribbon beauties
That slap death like crack whips.
If you come here you play by fathom deep rules.
Your pounding blood heart weigh down
Strung out nervy system so puzzle scared of we.
Venom is survival down here. Stay out of our
Tangle way. Is that so hard? You who build
Carapace in multiples to carry all you scuttling
Greed across the seas.
You who cling desperate to thinking you are Gods.
You need us. Breath-take terror hungry gaze: look
How they move like magic. Ethereal murderers stuff of
Your nightmares we tap at your bulbous brain
Dumb mouthed hubris. We will not be boxed
By your jelly name for we.
Watch us translucent pulsing tendril dance.
Be awed. Gape. Jaw struck.
We whisper slip into your dreams to prod:
‘You are not everything you are not even most things.’
Shiver mortal face raised hands clasp
Gratitude. At us mystery.

Emilie Collyer

 

Emilie Collyer lives in Melbourne, where she writes plays, poetry and prose. Recent publication credits include: ‘Local amnesia’ (Plumwood Mountain, 6/2, 2019), ‘What you learn (TV lessons)’ (Slippage Lit, July 2019). Recent award-winning plays include Contest, Dream Home and The Good Girl.

© 2019