half-breed and hispanic
she is acutely
aware

of the irrelevance
of these terms

"half-breed hispanic spic"

the words blast through
her mouth like dynamite

create caverns
that thin out and hollow

her thoughts until
she resembles a

jack o lantern
with leering smile
and colored skin
and teeth that
spit

"wetbacks" out
like watermelon seeds

yet she opens her mouth
to gather more oxygen

to absorb the
memory of a landscape

once unfettered and

undefined by
white settlers and
their claims to

bodies

of land.women.water

she rolls this over
in her mind

"property rights"

weighs the pros and cons
against the underside of
her tongue

cogs turning
like a tilt o whirl

she finds that
"minority"
leaves a bitter taste
and empty promises

voluminous,
empty promises
from men with
voluminous

pockets

01/05/2010

Posted on 01/06/2010
Copyright © 2025 Christina Butcher