i n t r a - n a t u r e
by Frankey Chung-Kok-Lun

I follow a bed of browning leaves. It leads me to a quiet tunnel, away from the others. Low, wiry mangrove branches curl over me from opposite ends, their soft fingers pointed in emerald tips. I persist with my nose to the wet, ashy ground. I step in, against the earth, sending circles through the water. Red and black freckles of crabs scurry along the volcanic boulders. Their spots shine like eyes in marine constellations. Long scales of iguanas lay still against the black, their bodies absorbing light beams bouncing off my skin. Bleached snakes of saltwater rush through the cracks, absconding with careless crabs aboard their waves. I reach the edge and sit. My feet dangle naked against the sharp rocks, teasing the cold. Families of blue-footed boobies soar in shifting canopies across the sky.

Exploding lava

Pink horizon

Tiny shells

Frankey Chung-Kok-Lun is a writer, honoured with the privilege of calling Narrm (Melbourne) home. He holds Commerce and Law degrees from the University of Melbourne and is currently engaged in a Master of Creative Writing, Editing and Publishing. His writing pursuits include eco-centred literature, theatre, and creative non-fiction. Frankey is happiest among life forms, from the plants scattered throughout his apartment, to the animals and sprawling vistas of open horizons. In 2021, he won the Above Water prize for poetry. His work has been longlisted for the inaugural Liminal Pantera Non-Fiction Prize 2021.

Instagram: @frankey.c
Twitter: @frankeychung