River Haiku

i.

a heron

surfacing—

the river waiting

ii.

the heron’s—

the river’s— wings

embracing the wind

iii.

fish wading

boatlike—

their mouths gaping

iv.

the heron—

the fish— unbothered

the sun scorching

v.

the surface plastic

preying—

the river choking

vi.

the river bleached

the river breathing

the river blue

vii.

the river bleeding

the river draped

with oil

viii.

the river

remembers

things

ix.

floating

chips of ice—

river water warm

x.

river—

in

impermanence

xi.

river—

the site of

permanence

Notes on Islands

we were little

bodies— floating /

unmapped

for birds

an island means

peace

for a river—

often the burden

of peace

an island

can be a shore /

shelter / country

a synonym

for calm, for

tranquillity

a place,

at current rate,

meant to vanish

a place

in need of

saving

an island is a sun

setting— after a million

years of days

Farewell / Elegy

we were islands — bodies

floating, endlessly, unmapped

— when we met

that night; you’d wanted

to understand how the water touches

quietly the horizons—

all we’d wanted together

was to get in a boat,

move to hold the sun —

warm, even in winter — in our hands;

we had wanted

to share what we’d see

there on the other side—

______________

Jayant Kashyap (he/him/ecopoet) is the author of two pamphlets and a zine, Water (Skear Zines, 2021). His work has been presented at COP26, the United Nations Climate Conference 2021, and won the Wells Festival of Literature’s Young Poets’ International Competition in 2021.