after Te He Prometido—Leo Dan
I want to fly like Huitzilopochtli,
sunlight shimmering
on my hummingbird wings.
Feel my heart pound
so fast it does not beat
but hum.
On the canals there is color.
Red, green, blue, yellow, pink
carved wooden flowers
saying, soy dulce.
A peacock takes flight.
On a passing boat,
abuelos croon “Te He Prometido”
and I sing along as I wind into dusk.
Light ripples on the water.
I close my eyes.
Lick the horchata
off my chin.
sunlight shimmering
on my hummingbird wings.
Feel my heart pound
so fast it does not beat
but hum.
On the canals there is color.
Red, green, blue, yellow, pink
carved wooden flowers
saying, soy dulce.
A peacock takes flight.
On a passing boat,
abuelos croon “Te He Prometido”
and I sing along as I wind into dusk.
Light ripples on the water.
I close my eyes.
Lick the horchata
off my chin.
Mia Aguilera received her MFA from Northern Arizona University. Her work has appeared in Lux, Ghost City Review, and River Teeth’s “Beautiful Things” column. When she is not writing, she spends her time working at Strand Book Store.