If Blake had only known
Yet the Sundarbans tigers behave like no other tigers in the world; in fact, no other predator of any species so aggressively seeks out our kind — Sy Montgomery, “Spell of the Tiger: The Man-eaters of Sundarbans”
Runoff an allowance of stout geography,
amorphous as our grievances against willing new
cartographers. Everything is bound to change like
a damsel to the tracks. Once, downstream, tigers had
no taste for human flesh. The cubs now get it in the
milk. By which tributary will your bones find rest?
The migrations all follow the new water; all the
cats are related, no more need to compete. Burn
bright the mangrove torches of the honey seekers.
Too much salt in the diet has unpredictable effects.
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Author's Note
In Bangladesh, tigers are a danger to people who go out into the mangrove forests to gather highly prized, delicious wild honey. The honey hunters burn torches of mangrove as a deterrent.
William Blake's fear of Tygers may have been a religious reference. In this poem I explore a world turning against its inhabitants and I view ancestral ways of making a living as a type of pure religion.
It was first published in Mad Rush.
"Everything is bound to change like
a damsel to the tracks. Once, downstream, tigers had
no taste for human flesh. The cubs now get it in the
milk. By which tributary will your bones find rest?"
Good poem. *
Your author's note added so much to this piece. Love the idea of making a living as pure religion.
And the image of "by which tributary..."
Strong authoritative feel, and, of course, beauty. *
*
Wonderful work.*
Carol, thanks for your kind comments and your feedback on the author's note. I hesitate to offer analysis for fear I could be limiting a reader's experience with the piece. However the landscape for this one is so exotic to me that I wanted to play tour guide a little.
Matthew, Gary and Amanda - thank you!
Sam, thank you very much!
Classy.*
Thanks, Beate!
"Burn / bright the mangrove torches of the honey seekers."
Couldn't agree more!
Nice work, Sara.