Photograph

Hemp around your wrist hemp around my neck
We say we believe in universal connectedness
I rub your back as if I love you
But your green cotton heart fear has wrinkled
If the shutter snaps we may not remember us

Copyright Xiomara A. Maldonado 2009

Skiouros

squirrel sitting in the shadow of his tail,

begging, with whiskers needling his grey-gold snout,

and eyes, unmoving, like black séance balls.

braking the bike, I surrender to his badge of white

as if to the fatal allure of headlights. fearfully, he looms,

centered between rails, green beams running uphill.

sweating, i shiver.

i imagine the black front wheel

kneading, imprinting its grooves into his lean meat—

do his clenched fists sweat too?

Copyright Xiomara A. Maldonado 2009

Photo Copyright Xiomara A. Maldonado 2008