Antarctica

Come into my midnight summer sun

I am made of Antarctic peninsula

Transantarctic mountains and large iceshelves

yet have an active volcano Erebus, paradox.

Icebergs, huge 700km in size may break

from the Ross iceshelf, I float, I am dry

yet Penguins, seabirds and seals live out

their lives with me.

Adelie penguins collect pebbles to nest and gobble krill

Leopard seals watch the Adelie, waiting to catch

with snap of head, paradox, fish keep from freezing

with glycopeptides in the blood, yet I watch the ozone hole

see my future melting, lichen, mosses, tundra

I am the mighty ice, if my muscles crack

the world splinters too.

(C) Lorraine Marwood