Your Coral

by Jackson ​Machado-Nunes

sits hugged by a rope
in the waters of Mo’orea
French Polynesia
within the pitchless hum
of the ocean
she is the largest coral
i adopted
a blushing savannah brown
a colour you surely
would have worn.

we all have different ways 
of keeping you alive
some of us still mourn you
some light a candle for you
around your birthday
and Christmas
and the anniversary
of your death
some of us 
probably avoid thinking of you
altogether
attempting to move on
in a way
as swiftly as it seemed you left.

i never cried
i never attended your funeral
over zoom
but my views on death
after all
are a little alt-left
but what i did know
was that coral gives our planet 
half of our oxygen
so i bought Earth a coral
named it after you
i felt it only fitting
as on many occasions
we were forced to steal extra breaths
because our language together
was laughter.

Jackson is a Meanjin based non-binary poet with a passion for Mother Earth, and a mission to see queer representation become commonplace in Australia. They’re currently studying a BFA at QUT, where they were a co-chairperson of the QUT Literary Salon. Find their work on Instagram @deku.eku