Submerged

Wandering fantastical worlds

The pine trees rise green beneath the surface of a lake where the light bells out from an unseen center. I can’t guess how they got there or why their shapes remind me of the skirts girls slip off when they’re ready to turn into mermaids. I still want to believe the world is full of improbable things lovely cities that flicker on at night from depths no mortal creature can measure.

I wrote this poem after a day spent hiking with my husky. I came across several pine trees, complete with needles, seemingly growing beneath the surface of a northern lake. The sun shone onto the submerged branches and the effect was beautiful and ghostly. After some quick googling I realized that the trees were preserved due to the coldness of the water. Much as I loved what I saw, the vision got me thinking about fantastical worlds — a tendency I’ve had for as long as I can remember.

If you’re interested in seeing one of these underwater forests, check out this article.

Thanks, Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她), for tagging me in this prompt. I’m also tagging Susannah MacKinnie, Upasana Sharma, jenine bsharah baines. Lee Ameka and Amy Marley.

You can read Lucy’s poem here: