Red Algae and Other Poems

Poetry

Red Algae and Other Poems

Red Algae poem reflects on rivers, stones, and oarfish, weaving myth, archaeology, and legend into a meditation on memory, war, and hidden truths of humanity.
Maria Cardoso
Maria Cardoso
August 27, 2025 · 3 Min Read

Red algae The first time I entered the river,I closed my eyes and dove deeply.The taste of sand and blood remained on my skin. Then I beganto dive like someone undressing for the night,not completely, just enough,knowing that both in the night and in the riverthe sand always comes. Even the Breath of a Strong Beast Wounds the Landscape Some archaeologists believethat the age of worked stonesis in truth the age ofbroken stones.The change occursbecause they believe that primatesdid not shape stone by stone with caterpillar friction,but ratherfrom the fragments of the fallthey made their spears.They published the article with…...

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Red algae

The first time I entered the river,
I closed my eyes and dove deeply.
The taste of sand and blood remained on my skin.

Then I began
to dive like someone undressing for the night,
not completely, just enough,
knowing that both in the night and in the river
the sand always comes.

Even the Breath of a Strong Beast Wounds the Landscape

Some archaeologists believe
that the age of worked stones
is in truth the age of
broken stones.
The change occurs
because they believe that primates
did not shape stone by stone with caterpillar friction,
but rather
from the fragments of the fall
they made their spears.
They published the article with the title:
Making weapons
from the fragments
that fall upon us

Namazu

Oarfish measure about six meters.
When they appear, the Japanese say
it is time for earthquakes.
Grammar says: their appearance causes earthquakes.
The lip says: the earthquake causes their appearance.
Today, when one sees an oarfish,
one knows it is time for earthquakes and tsunamis.
The cause-and-effect relations of human influx and outflow
are, however, not yet fully understood.
Some say that every human is a prelude to fire.
Some believe that every carbonization
is a prelude to humans.
It is unknown whether there was war because humans exist,
or whether humans exist because there was war.
When we see humans,
they are left to tell the legend of a primate
that runs like a plant,
hides like a firefly,
contemplates kintsugi,
and knows how to trigger earthquakes
from the possibility
of finding an intergalactic parrot.

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Red Algae and Other Poems
3 Min Read
Maria Cardoso
Written By

Maria Cardoso

I am a Brazilian poet and researcher. Last year, I published a poetry collection, and my poems have appeared in over 40 anthologies and journals in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

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