It floods like shame
after a lie
like a bleeding glacier
or blue larva
It floods a motherboard
dropped in water
It floods leaving trees
as heads cocooned
in spider webs
in a crown of thorns
devouring industries
It floods like fire
on a Greek island
It floods in slow motion
when you roll your car
and wait to die
from awe and curiosity
after a Goodbye letter
infection by malware
in the airborne contagion
of Madras Eye it blinds
in widening capillaries
of the neck, the face
neurones surrender
then forget
It shakes loose unfamiliar territory—
like happiness
Julie Maclean’s poetry, short fiction and reviews have appeared in The Age, The Best Australian Poetry (UQP), Cordite Review, Island, Overland, Poetry (Chicago) and Southerly. She is the author of Tango Boleo, a collaboration with Avril Bradley (Ginninderra Press, 2019), Lips that Did (Dancing Girl Press, US, 2017), To Have To Follow, a collaboration with UK poet Terry Quinn (Indigo Dreams, UK, 2016), Kiss of the Viking (Poetry Salzburg, 2014) and When I saw Jimi, (Indigo Dreams, UK, 2013) which was shortlisted for the Crashaw Prize (Salt, UK) and was joint winner (with Terry Quinn) of the Geoff Stevens Poetry Prize, UK, 2013. She lives on the Surf Coast, Victoria. To find more from Julie visit her website.