Deep-time borderscapes in Trino Cruz’s poetry

This article explores Gibraltarian poet Trino Cruz’s recent works, particularly his 2021 poem ‘Gharb’, by focusing on Gibraltar’s deep-time geological continuity. In contrast to conventional views that emphasize human borders and migrations, Cruz’s poem shifts attention to the natural world’s influence on shaping cultural and historical processes. By delving into the submerged geological continuum beneath the Strait of Gibraltar, ‘Gharb’ emphasizes the interconnectedness between the human and the more-than-human, moving away from human dominance towards a more co-dependent relationship with the earth. This shift reimagines Gibraltar as part of a much longer geophysical history, one that transcends temporary political boundaries. In doing so, Cruz offers a perspective that resituates Gibraltar within a broader, more dynamic context, highlighting its role as a crossroads not just for human migration but also for the movement of geological and cultural forces across continents. This approach challenges dominant political views of the Mediterranean as merely a surface to be crossed or defended and instead envisions it as a site of ongoing interaction and renewal, where both human and natural histories converge and co-evolve.