brackish seas spread shallow over
shark’s teeth and coral reefs where
boreal forests coniferous evergreens / rose and fell left resinous needles // wind-pollinated pinecones to mark / their time where subtropical swamps // bequeathed coal veins deep buried / compressed carbon gifts to this land
“Where Once.” Poetry commissioned by University Museums, in response to Ghost Trees sculpture by Tom Stancliffe, 2025. [link]