Daughter: Hearld of the Earth - A.J.M. Aldrian
(CW: vivid descriptions of animal gore and mentions of the apocalypse via natural disaster)
My ligaments of rot rose forth from the muck
eager and hungry, sticking
to the oozing Earth.
Clawing out of the darkness, in her moist
labor, green grasses embrace me like amniotic fluid
and vines of poisoned ivy cling to me
like placenta.
I, freed parasite of the swamp’s flesh,
bit onto the Earth’s bosom like a viper
teeth sunk into her wet skin and I
drank her rusty blood dry. Born am I.
Now I rise, formed from tendons of tree bark
and muscles of mushroomed moss,
Herald of the Earth am I.
screaming, throat full cockroaches
and mouth full of mice
voice clammy with spiderwebs
and wolf’s eyes wither, I am made
feet of bog-flame wend the way
and arms of branch limbs reaching,
fleshy, putrid stags’ heart that
pumps my wolfsbane veins
rancid bears’ lungs and redwood ribs
unbreakable as stone, alone.
Hear me break my slimy ties and
scratch over the forest floor
I come to make you undone.
Talons of picker thorn and
bone beasts’ hide
Monster of the Earth am I.
menstruation of the macrosom’s rage
birthing, deathing, laboring with the moon
I am bleeding broken from sod and lichen,
rotting fish and beast’s impotent eyes
and I mourn
for what is in store for you
Crawling as I enter into silver shone spires
that you once called home,
your white stone-stolen stores and man-made terrain
Shall be no more for Avenger of the Earth am I.
wrecking over your carelessness in tides
and overgrowing in mire
of what you will leave behind
septic winds will clog your throat until you’re wheezing dry
tremors rock your structures raw
like your skin rubbed over, too torn
too bloody. Humanity leaking, seeping into the sea,
ruby ichor and black inking oil
bones broken and shattered on your shorelines
your lifelines, your screams and bloodlust cries
won’t be heard, by my mother, the wanton Earth.
And there, in your devastation, my moss will grow
over. You were never here and you won’t
be remembered by my breathing blackland
Because Protector of the Earth am I.
Originally printed in the Cauldron Anthology on October 25, 2022
A.J.M. Aldrian is a graduate of Hamline University with a BFA in Creative Writing, and a minor in History. She loves many genres including fiction; horror, sci-fi, literary, and fantasy, as well as poetry and non-fiction, historical, and nature and memoir. She can also be found on her podcast “Thinking on the Air” on Spotify.
