The Submarine Island
Hyma Ein
Version from the Burmese by Niall McDevitt
Literals provided by Myint Swe and Vicky Bowman
your life in this wrapping-paper sea
your life
weighed and packaged
carrying on your crown
Oceanus here
propping up the gulf
wings of the seabirds
beat into your ear
spans forbidden the eye
cloud-images in the mirror
of the silver surf
but clouds are censored
rollers high-jumping over your head
horse-playing
white caps white horses
clipper-ships cut furrows
up there
but the crews do not remember
as for the stars
made-up to glitter
they queue at nightclubs
abandoning you to the rock-salts
flailing
in the acid chambers
but one thing is rising here
rip-tides
of your swelling agon
and leviathans are looming
a danger to you
circling circling
almost like the mountains
we look at now
who once were shrouded in sea
your blood's earth's blood
your bloodline's
mingled with the brine
and beyond sea's immensity
the seaboard
rims of dry land
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