Mara River Crossing

By Thomas Farr

Under empty, xeric sky

a herd of black gnu

wildebeest trample

green-gold grass,

a kettledrum

thunder

of cloven hooves

and mettlesome hematite

horns; wind billows

shaggy cordage,

moirés gauzy

fly-grazed

manes. Beyond

brocaded fever

trees –

journey’s end, terminus:

mighty Mara in muddy

swell. Elsewhere,

a barrel-blob

of hippopotamus

yawns cavern

jaws as water’s aestivating

mirror breaks, reforms

around naiant

wedge-shaped heads

and tails

bundled

like swords. The herd

descends the river’s edge;

spindly-legged, grey-crowned

cranes watch but give

no warning. Massive, cataphracted,

half as heavy

as a car –

the first erupting

archosaur

punches poignard

teeth into the warmth

of mammal

haunch.

Water crashes glossal

roars as phytosaur-

like armoured

forms drag

thrashing

backs and blatting, mother

parted calves

into crushing

kris-claw

clutch –

an imbrued blazonry

of blood

as Mara signs

her signature

in red.

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Mara River Crossing features in Erato's Issue III: Hunger - available in print and online.

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About the Author:

Thomas Farr is a British writer of fiction and poetry, much of whose work explores and challenges the human/nature binary. He has appeared or is forthcoming in Livina Press,Tales to Terrify, Aôthen Magazine, Ram Eye Press, The Jupiter Review, what's the theme zine, tiny wren lit, Red Wolf Periodical, Humana Obscura and elsewhere. If he isn't writing, he's probably running or talking to his plants.

Twitter: @tfarrpoetry