Across fourteen parishes the longest swamp river flows, the Atchafalaya River. The Cypress tree reigns as king in the sleepy waters of the Atchafalaya and Chitimacha rivers. They stand tall and proud, robed in a reddish-bark, untouched by time. Adorn with delicate leaves that sparkle in the sunlight, branches stretch to cover their domain.
If the Cypress is king then gators stand guard in murky waters beneath, keeping unwanted or unaware at bay.
This ecologically rich heritage is as diverse as the cultural peoples who have come to make it their home. European, African, Caribbean, and Native American descendants dug their roots deep into the bayou. The bayou blends them all into a cajun or creole cultural mix.
The Atchafalaya Basin by RL Brown
Narrative Non-fiction, prose
Across the boot parishes,
a vast swampland exists
where the Cypress reign as
keepers of the river forest.
Underneath a feathery dome
of twisted branches
robed in reddish bark,
resides the age-old kings.
Gators serve as sentries
guarding the murky waters below,
instilling respect for life
and doom for the ignorant.
Sinkholes, shifting sand,
watchful eyes always stare,
ever mindful of
a changing landscape.
Stagnant water breeds
relentless mosquitoes.
Yet, yellow warbles and
purple martin feast.
Host to mink, otters, muskrats,
bears, deer, and bobcats,
this bayou exists for life-
and shares in its hardships.
A river basin teaming
with bass, crappie, and crawfish,
full of beauty and wonder.
Its esse seeps into a Cajun's soul.
Standing between worlds
is a glimpse of immortality,
a time passage that remains
under the Cypress rule.
Resources:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/louisiana/stories-in-louisiana/the-atchafalaya-river-basin/
https://www.basinkeeper.org/theatchafalayabasin#:~:text=Other%20animals%20that%20call%20the,%2C%20armadillo%2C%20fox%20and%20opossum.
The Atchafalaya Basin by RL Brown
Across the boot parishes, a vast swampland exists where the Cypress reign as keepers of the river forest.
Underneath a feathery dome, robed in reddish-bark with shields of twisted branches, resides the age-old kings.
Gators serve as sentries guarding the murky waters below, instilling respect for life and doom for the ignorant.
Sinkholes, shifting sand, watchful eyes always stare, ever mindful of a changing landscape.
A river basin teams with bass, crappie, and crawfish, full of beauty and wonder. Its esse seeps into a Cajun's soul.
Stagnant water breeds relentless mosquitoes. Yet, the yellow warbles and purple martins feast.
Host to mink, otters, muskrats, bears, deer, and bobcats, this bayou exists for life and shares in its hardships.
Standing between worlds is a glimpse of immortality, a time passage that remains under the Cypress' rule.
"The Atchafalaya Basin comprises an area of 860,000 acres of swamps, lakes and water prairies. Cutting a 15-mile-wide path across South Louisiana, it is the largest and last great river-basin swamp. But to fully comprehend and appreciate the magnificence of the Atchafalaya, you must journey back to when the Atchafalaya was as nomadic as its people.
Coastal Prairie, and its adjacent marsh habitat, provided immense spaces for waterfowl and thousands of other forms of wildlife."
"Other animals that call the Atchafalaya home include the Louisiana black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, coyote, alligator, beaver, nutria, mink, otter, muskrat, armadillo, fox and opossum."
"The Atchafalaya Basin comprises an area of 860,000 acres of swamps, lakes and water prairies.With each new season, the Atchafalaya Swamp changes its face. Winter blows in isolation and despair as the frigid morning fog rolls across the basin swamp. Spring signals a rebirth as lush greens and vibrant purples reach forward to embrace its new season. Sunrise in the basin awakens its creatures as snakes slither, and alligators and turtles bask in the sunlight. As the sun descends on another day, an eerie silence hangs on until the haunting cry of the egret penetrates the morning."
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/louisiana/stories-in-louisiana/the-atchafalaya-river-basin/
https://www.basinkeeper.org/the-atchafalaya-basin#:~:text=Other%20animals%20that%20call%20the,%2C%20armadillo%2C%20fox%20and%20opossum.
New sites to research:
https://www.bsaswampbase.org/atchafalaya-swamp
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