Order

A narrow girl sells purses made of reed.

Dead rabbits hang by feet, their red eyes dull,

while chickens crammed in cages peck their seed.

A vessel in Juan’s brain begins to bleed,

spreading into the fissures of his skull.

A narrow girl sells purses made of reed.

The madams in the district underfeed

hookers they line up for a spectacle

while chickens crammed in cages peck their seed.

A vendor buys his wares, then smokes some weed;

he seldom deems police an obstacle.

A narrow girl sells purses made of reed.

Redeemers tend the poor, avoiding greed

and never gesture for a miracle

while chickens crammed in cages peck their seed.

This is the life they know and that they need,

the common life that no one can annul.

A narrow girl sells purses made of reed

while chickens crammed in cages peck their seed.