Underground Cartographers
The underground network of cartographers
took classes in distortions and disproportions
to know how to make places inconspicuously disappear.
They understood it is safest to build a house on a folded crease.
They studied every latitude and longitude, calculated
depths, memorized meaning of each shade not in pursuit
of conquering but in search of anything left out.
Rebellious cartographers learnt to speak different dialects
of borders: military crossings had thick intimidating accents
while green ones softly adapted their whispers.
They even studied geology to predict the treasures
to avoid as there had to come the day when these would be violently
claimed. The whole Tierra Incognita was once under their protection.
Now their mission shrank to the Last Undiscovered Island.
While other cartographers were inventing sea monsters
to mask what they did not know, The Network used imaginary
creatures to hide what they believed should stay unnamed.
Today they cover The Island with a map legend.
Should the conspiracy ever be found out, they would claim it
a drifting mass.
Soon they will retire as raising seas will take over
unwriting the maps. Native waves will nestle her
so deeply no one will ever find her.
​