celina mcmanus
saltmouth
once i poured the entire contents of my water bottle into
the Atlantic ocean to persuade a manatee out of hiding. slith-
ered between mangroves in a kayak rental, i bothered entangled
roots romping their overlapped limbs like teenagers learning
how to interlace rediscovered fingers. receding into Florida’s
outstretched palm jellies round as sugar cookies dance
between brine and twin plastic oars. hushed into a patch
of overgrown root, i suddenly realize i am interrupting.
seas puff their chests and exhale, taking order over hairy
toes of ancient tentacle wood. however stripped, these
shrubs raise their naked tendons and muscle and spine
on spine on spine against storm and jetski wave all
the while the gargle goes on into their meticulous
swallow, filtering stone and greedy freshwater.
they twist. they tumble. they saltlick.
celina mcmanus (they/them) is a poet, educator, and gardener from the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Cherokee territory, living on Dakota land in St. Paul, Minnesota. They are of the first cohort to graduate from the Randolph MFA program and have work published in various journals, including three Best of the Net nominations. They teach English, Creative Writing, Environmental Lit, and Climate Fiction at Century College.