Challenging Poetry

the Maldives: life on a coral reef

how many bones
does it take
to peak out of the sea,
to crunch underfoot
in a symphony of coral sand
and creeping waves?
living coral is sharp,
slicing to the bone
to color the water
with crimson sweetness.
but it is dead, now,
and coral graveyards arch
their bone piles over waves,
so that where feet stand,
the sea touches toes.

line count: 15

Author's Note ▶︎

What struck me about the Maldives was the fact the island group is so short. I can't imagine living so close to the water--even the highest point is just over 7 feet over sea level. Which made me think of the fact that it is built on a coral reef--that all of the land exists because of the growth and death of billions of living coral. And, of course, there is the fact that climate change is a major worry for the country. All of that came together into this.