POETRY

To Hide From the Silence

A poem for her

When you’re gone, Where can I go to hide from myself? Can I drown in delirium Within your substance-like silence? When the loneliness weighs heavy, Can I look for your eyes Beyond the lines of your lashes?

Without your heart as my refuge, Can I wander aimlessly Through the City of Graves? Lost amidst pastel-colored mausoleums? Resting eternally beside you, Quiet as an idol, still as a statue, Like a gilded saint Or an imitation maravilla?

Can I seek your reflection Upon the marble slates? Watching your silhouette Resting warm upon my lap, As you gaze through the holes In the fabric of the Roman silver skies?

Can I find you among the ofrendas Scattered atop the surface Of that freshly-poured concrete? Elate as I taste the juice Of a clementine Alighting upon my tongue? Journey far far within, Amidst the scent of citrus, Wedged beneath our fingernails And besprinkled in our hair?

Can I find you within me then, Whispering silly yet momentous questions With incomparable earnestness? Like, “Who seasoned the sun With turmeric spices? And who stirred the skies Into chapels of cotton candy?”

Yet, the words that inhabit my mind, And the core of my being, is; “Why do your eyes look so sad? And why do you hold me so tightly? Don’t be afraid. I won’t disappear from your side. Nor you from mine. Until we’re laughing with mirth And from this dream, you awaken.”

Thank you for reading!

For those curious:

“Maravillas”: are a type of flower, also known as “marabilis jalapa,” or “marvel-of-peru.”

“Ofrendas”: are offerings given to the dead during el Día de los Muertos. They can consist of flowers, fruits, baked goods, and even the favorite dishes of the deceased.