BRUJERÍA | RAINA J. LEÓN Beneath the shoulder joint, close to the sweat curve, I have carved a flap, released a thin layer, the uppermost, from its smooth rest. I burned the edges with a flame from the last candle that lit our night-tangle. Inside, a penny, a tooth chip, a drop of mixed spit, I’ve sewn them all, conjured in this fleshy brew pot. Every one calls on the heart to hold a love, blanket the world in red mystique. They call on the heart, but it has other work. How can it push the blood and bear the avalanche of tears and passion flashes? The armpit, that natural vessel for heat, begs for a cold look, is used to the slide of summer so quick no ice can satisfy. This is where I keep my charms: may you find wealth and ride it to me. May you chip your teeth on every impediment. May you go mad for the taste our mouths make together. Until then, I will thread the red needle and sew a solid stitch, blind in the sweltering darkness. Raina J. León, author of Canticle of Idols, just received her doctorate in education from the University of North Carolina. She teaches at an American high school in Germany. Rainaleon.comhttp://astore.amazon.com/contrary-20/detail/1934999334http://www.rainaleon.comshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1
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