In it scales sparkle. Lilacs contour an
octopus. Clarinet’s call rankles as I – in
tunic top, lilac nails – snorkel arcs. Sea
silk, arcane – I sculpt, caress it all. Noon
star casts luck on “N”, porcelain lilies, a
pearl laurel sticks to snails. Canonic,
sacral icon: sea cloak, lint lustre, spin
as cantaloupe roll, cans clink. It rises
atop sea, as crocus – lilac? – krill nest in “N”,
Noctiluca, peonies snarl, stark lilacs.
Nandini is a writer and poet working on Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung country. She is interested in writing as political thinking as well as language’s relationship to the natural world. She has recently been shortlisted for Overland’s Kuracca Prize for excellence in Australian literature, pending a final result.
This poem was a runner-up in the 2021 Meanjin University of Melbourne Poetry Competition.
