by Ellen Chang-Richardson
after Edward Burtynsky
spreads Anthropocene
across lowlands blistered by decay
excising evidence, expounding excuses
like naked skin pepper sprayed.
stop, please! it’s infinite.
infinite. our impri—
hush. hush. hush hush hush
we’re told these soils gift platinum cyanide gold.
but, it’s indelible…— …irrevocable.
our impri—nt on this plateau.
***
[Ellen Chang-Richardson (she/her) is an award-winning poet of Taiwanese and Cambodian-Chinese descent. The author of three poetry chapbooks including snap, pop, performance (Gap Riot Press), her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Watch Your Head, untethered magazine and Room, among others. She is the co-founder of Riverbed Reading Series, the founder of Little Birds Poetry, and a member of the poetry collective VII. Ellen currently lives/works on the traditional unceded territory of Algonquin Anishinaabeg. Find her online @ehjchang and ehjchang.com]
PØST 