Rachel Bower

Toxic Blooms
330 Savanna Elephants, 400 Pilot Whales

the whales tiny \ in the aerial footage
silver black mackerels \ shore litter

the elephants \ sleeping toys
trunks greyish \ ready \ for play

bluegreen waterholes \ stunning maps

but on the ground
biologists retched \ wept \

at the bulk \ the curves \ the unbearable weight
rotting \ luxuriant \

the shining \ beaching \ bleaching
hulks

herds \ pods \ families
all slacked into sand



Rachel Bower is an award-winning writer based in Sheffield. She is the author of Moon Milk (Valley Press) and a non-fiction book on literary letters (Palgrave Macmillan). Her poetry and short fiction have been widely published, including in The London Magazine, The White Review, Magma, Stand and New Welsh Reader. Rachel is currently editing an anthology with Simon Armitage (Faber & Faber).