Saltwater swamps.
Everything is hostile
but the good news is
you won’t starve.
Make a fire.
Find a termite nest and
tinder.
Eat something.
Fish, infested with parasites
Eels, discharge 500 volts or more
Piranhas, present in the Orinoco
Birds, cunning
Snakes, tasty
Protect yourself
against high tide (also
crocodiles, water snakes, electric catfish
chigoe and centipedes
mosquitoes and leeches
dysentery, botflies, parasitic fungus
and the candiru, which will swim up a urethra given the chance)
Don’t: Forget
decay is rapid
monkeys shit in the water
the candiru has a dorsal spine
Don’t: Think about
dry socks
clean teeth
hot coffee
In all cases, remember:
boil the water
cover your genitals
leeches will fall off when they’re ready.
Poetry