On The Day They Birthed My Mother...
by Miguel Pinero

The wind pushed the sun
behind the moon
and
in the dark of light I saw
shadows trailing the cool

Autumn shook hands with winter
just before it died
Summer leaves bloomed
and ran away on a spring ride

coulds wrote an epithet
on a mountain tombstone for an
ant
a deer laid dead on a fresh water stream
and the hunter cursed
beneath his breath at the spirits of
the stars who caused the deer's death . . .

The earth shook with laughter
as the spades tickled its side
and gleamed so pretty with
so many forgotten flowers
from those final cadillac brides

My hat fell in the open grave
my feet inside my shoes swayed
my gloves were wet with sweat
looked quickly in the mirror of my heart
sign a relief . . .
and calmly smiled my fears aside . . .