Camelopardalis
Ali Memhard

Savanna-ready submarine: periscope huge and heavy,

purple tongue twisting around acacia leaves

and telescopic sights swiveling to focus the mud brown lenses.


The tallest tower floating through the yellow surf,

puzzle piece maps stretched over sets of stilts:

brown burnt soil continents over sand oceans.


Submarine splays stilts and becomes vulnerable

 at water: periscope poised precariously,

exposing the fragile maps so the enemy may eat.