Spectres

Gaele Sabott

One million fish swim bladders thumping a frantic beat to rising howls in regional accents from the Barwon from the Darling from the Murray vibrating in unison at screech frequency

Raise the alarm search for flow for faster current anonymous skulls with wide-open mouths sluggish now in slowest motion floating bloated corpses belly-up white clouded eyes staring at the dying stench sour ammonia nightmares

One million fish die to a frantic beat Murray cod golden and silver perch bony bream with shining spirit skins their ghostly swim bladders whisper the way to traditional breeding grounds they flex their scaled bodies tails swing gossamer-thin to and fro back fins push muscles expand muscles relax translucent on the night air one million dead fish haunt our grim earth