Inside the nuclear zone
I step into high tide
legs suspended
cavern deep
the water’s surface is covered in insects
dead, dying.
I lie back, crowned
thick with wings.
At this time of day
the power plant casts no shadow
a thin line of green
hangs at the horizon
further down
the quiet drift.
Lydia Benson (she/her) grew up in Cornwall and now lives on the coast in Folkestone. Her publications include Ink, Sweat and Tears and Vanguard’s 14 Magazine and her poetry was shortlisted for the Disquiet Prize 2023.