roots

my roots are dying
someone told me it is the sea
one hundred twenty one kilometers away
my fruits too little

my roots are dead
haunted nights
how do I explain my ancestors
where they never travelled
now moistens their bones
rots their graves
destroyed our land
displaced us from all

their roots will grow again of that I am sure
their feet won't remember the earth
their remembrance won't offer our spirits peace
this slum their new home

Notes


^{Sea level rise may increase saltwater intrusion in groundwater aquifers. Next, in open water systems connected to the sea, the salt front may progress further upstream. This poem explores the impact of saltwater intrusion to a small-scale farmer and the challenges of human mobility.}
 

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