A new poem by the poet and novelist Mikaela Nyman.
Iron Throne, Submerged
This vessel is of a curious kind, missing
his stomach
look how he chops the waves eats
pieces of seabed
sucks and pours
like the waves at Back Beach and Fitzroy
Past that sneaky bar where Virginia suffered a concussion
a wonder it even stays afloat
Who owns the sand anyway?
Trans-Tasman Resources had an eye
on the extraction of vanadium-rich iron ore
off South Taranaki
50 million tons of sand per year
a sunken bay, the Supreme Court
said no, echoing locals and iwi
On average, one ton of sand equals 0.625 cubic meters
or 625 liters
due to the heavy iron it is probably a bit less
50 million tonnes is an 11-digit number of liters –
hard to even imagine
Vanadium is used to treat diabetes,
cholesterol, low
blood sugar, heart disease, tuberculosis, syphilis
take care of tired blood
and water retention, can also be used to improve
sports performance and prevent cancer
You will find vanadium in space vehicles, nuclear reactors
aircraft carriers, pistons and axles, as beams
in construction
potters use it as a pigment
Skin wet, we beat angels on the warm sand wedge
salty grains in our mouths leave traces
the elements seep into limbs, skin, blood, tongues
It’s been ages since we’ve been on a trip of any kind
sand trips all the time
calculate all the interior dimensions of a truck, you end up
with a trip of sand or 450 cubic feet
so many feet in one truck
Just look at the current cost of building materials in Nigeria:
Pointed sand (20 tons) one trip ₦60,000
Soft sand (20 tons) one trip ₦90,000
Laterite filling (20 tons) one trip ₦48,000
Next time you’re ransomed, why not
trade sand dollars.
The Friday Poem is edited by Chris Tse. Submissions are currently closed and will reopen very soon.
The Spinoff Review of Books is proudly brought to you by Unity Books, recently appointed International Bookstore of the Year 2020, London Book Fair, and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books Wellington or Unity Books Auckland online stores today.
