这个州有着最美丽的名字，它漂浮在微咸的水中，由红树树根连接在一起，这些树根簇拥着成群的活着的牡蛎，当死去的牡蛎散落在白色的沼泽里，尸骨点缀着，仿佛被轰炸了，绿色的小山丘像古老的炮弹在发芽。这个州到处都是长s形的鸟，蓝白相间，还有看不见的歇斯底里的鸟，每次都在发脾气。经理人因自己的浮华而尴尬，鹈鹕则以扮小丑为乐;它们沿着强烈的潮汐在红树林岛屿间进进出出，在阳光普照的夜晚站在沙洲上晒着湿漉漉的金翅膀，寻找乐趣。巨大的海龟，无助而温和，死后在海滩上留下了它们的贝壳，它们巨大的白色头骨和圆眼窝是人类的两倍大。棕榈树在凛冽的微风中吱吱作响，就像鹈鹕的叫声。热带雨水降下来，使那些被潮水打环的、渐渐褪色的贝壳焕然一新的:约伯之泪、中国字母表、稀缺的朱诺尼亚、斑驳的果胶和女士耳，就像被埋在一块腐烂的灰布上的印度公主的裙子;有了这些，单调的、无尽的、下垂的海岸线被精美地装饰了起来。三十只或更多的秃鹰在沼泽里发现了什么东西，它们盘旋着向下，向下，向下，就像搅在一起的沉淀物在水中下沉一样。森林大火产生的烟雾过滤了细小的蓝色溶剂。 On stumps and dead trees the charring is like black velvet. The mosquitoes go hunting to the tune of their ferocious obbligatos. After dark, the fireflies map the heavens in the marsh until the moon rises. Cold white, not bright, the moonlight is coarse-meshed, and the careless, corrupt state is all black specks too far apart, and ugly whites; the poorest post-card of itself. After dark, the pools seem to have slipped away. The alligator, who has five distinct calls: friendliness, love, mating, war, and a warning-- whimpers and speaks in the throat of the Indian Princess.