sugarcane fields whisper to those who reach el otro lado
descansa aquí amongst víboras y machetes
descansa aquí abajo de luna conjurada
dawn the harvest begins sanctuaries ablaze
but a body can only hold so much water
fuego cannot be extinguished
by fear or flight
fierce North winds unfurl
Dios mío
plumaje rodea ceniza retoza
they are difficult to distinguish from afar
a whisper resumes
descansa aquí amongst víboras y machetes
descansa aquí you have reached el otro lado
Gabriela Ybarra Lemmons was born and raised in South Texas, a stone’s throw from the Rio Grande. She was raised by migrant workers and earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Kansas. She is currently a dual language teacher in Topeka, Kansas.
