
.png)
by Amanda McLeod
The ceiling of this land will never be the same
as it was before colonisation.
The brumbies stay
while Bogong moths disappear
at a rate of 99% in a year—
from thousands in a single cave
to the fingers of one hand.
Land knowledge.
Local knowledge.
Unacknowledged.
Do the moths feel lonely? Or betrayed?
Did their eye-marked wings see it coming,
or are they unaware
as they flit towards extinction?
Do the brumbies wear their interloper tag with pride,
or does knowledge of their status render them wary?
Long before prison ships and rum rebellions,
the First People knew this place.
Ngarigo country.
Then one ignorant footprint,
one hoof
at a time.
​
1
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Amanda McLeod is an Australian creative based in Canberra. Her work has appeared in many place both in print and online, most recently Kindred Trees, Wild Roof Journal and EcoTheo Review. A lover of coffee and quiet places, you'll usually find her at the nearest river. If she's not there, try Twitter and Instagram @AmandaMWrites.