Schism

January 25, 2026

the river divides
your space and mine
where currents undercut the bank
ripples hide the undertow.

our words erupt freestyle
across the water and tangle
in river gum branches
like giant birds upside down
wings spread, beaks snapping
block a way forward.

on opposite banks
our footprints in the muddy edge.
I watch as you shrink away
my voice diminishes to a whisper.

Marilyn Humbert

Marilyn Humbert lives in the Northern suburbs of Sydney NSW Australia. Her Tanka and Haiku appear in many international and Australian journals, anthologies and online. Her free-verse poems have been awarded prizes in competitions and some have been published.

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