Woolly Mammoth by Charlotte Cosgrove

Woolly Mammoth

Goldminers never found gold

But Tundra flowers in the stomach of a mammoth

Preserved cold

A kiss in winter’s death

Did he walk until feet could no longer take him

Or lay down in permafrost

Overcome, overthrown by time

Mummified mother of life

To teach us:

Stop looking for gold bars.

Charlotte Cosgrove is a writer and lecturer from Liverpool. She has published two collections of poetry and is the editor of Rough Diamond poetry journal.