Written by Derek Pena

Hold, sturdy as spiraled mangroves
Trust, placed in ancient mystic ways
Drink, the healing deep from these cloves
Bear, the burden beneath the rays
The tortoise tastes the salty air
This is the blood that we all share

March, their steel-capped bones trample through
Burn, they silence and raze our heart
Push, build our children’s lives anew
Fight, for the customs we impart
The mangroves soar above the smoke
Our just right to life, we invoke

Wait, before you take back our marsh
Hear, the voices of those before
Watch, the metal – cold, jagged, harsh
Fear, the poison washing ashore
Spirals of vines thrive in our care
This is the blood only we share.