culebra                  canal boats & net fish

          no more windows ESCape the unwound protection
that heals an amorphous child, won deterrence         Voodoo bags
     inhibit the murder that stories tell, the incisions
          on our drums               ‘que nuestro pais se cuenta sin hablar’
     pushing on determined corn husks. count the zero
            that impresses germs                  upon language rails, on
                 the tree that simmers, showering bomb threats over
      THE LOST TONGUE. place hand to the other torso,
          place heart to the horse’s hide
                   and speaking races
                                            over sisters.          never do the ties
                            remember all their screens,
                                 or all their hiding limbs . . . wet on the chair,
                            ‘woven stone’ — places the INCUBATED muscle
                          on desiccated insects, droves of mango that never
                 fell
                    to the floor. a welcome
                              accomplishment. SURFACE
                                                   shrinking skin, the isthmus
                                                       isn’t remembered
                                           for its canals. eggs & softened
                                                lizards — poured milk
                                     on the Wheel, red faces
                                            that play the memory of your
                                                 silent chairs . . .
                                                              some rain

                                     makes the wind full . . .
                                     blankets
                                     into stone

Copyright Credit: Roberto Harrison, “culebra canal     boats & net fish” from Os, published by Subpress. Copyright © 2006 by Roberto Harrison. Reprinted by permission of Roberto Harrison.
Source: Os (Sub Press, 2006)