Catrina

One day I found her walking with my grandpa.

She wore long, silky dresses and cherry lipstick

Her eyes dark voids of love bid farewell to him

And I stared at her for a long time, almost a lifetime

“Dime, tell me, do you want to dance?”

I accepted such dark invitation

Dance, oh dance!

Please don’t touch me

Just keep moving to this rhythm

The rhythm of “Llorona”

She kept smiling offering flowers to me

Cempasuchil, just like her perfume and her breath

She smelled like coffee, sweet bread, tamales, and mole

She finally sat, and I offered her tequila, she gladly accepted.

“Dime, why do people think I like to carry a scythe?

I like to dance with people

I like to see them smile

I like to see them bid me farewell after a long talk”

I tried to look into those empty eyes of her

She only seemed pleased

She never complained

I knew her job

She carried many people on their way back home

I said, bonita, why do you have such task?

She smiled again, and said,

“Life is not cruel. The ones who are cruel are all of you

You dare not live your lives

You dare not live your lives because of money

You cut each other with words sharper than a scythe

You spent your lives thinking about the future which does not exist

And you keep thinking about the past which is already dead (giggles)

You dare not love because you hate all of those who harmed you

You dare not love because you are afraid to love again

Yet you dare blame me when I come to pay a visit”

I undestand, flaquita, my petite lady, I replied.

Here’s is a rose for you.

She said, “Thanks. But roses are only

for the ones whose hearts are still beating

Cempasuchil is for the ones

who are lost in their way to Heaven

They’ll be more than glad to receive a flower like that.

Now, Señora mia, my lady,

Why are you always smiling?

She said, “Why be sad when one is resting?

There is only joy in knowing you’re going to Nirvana, Sky, or Heaven

It does not matter where you’re going or where you are from

Your journey here is over

You’re starting another one

Take it as if you were moving

Plus you don’t have to carry any boxes or luggage

Only a sack of sins and joys

Now, perplexed, I only saw how she stood up and

Cracked her knuckles and neck

and began to sing

With such a splendid and sweet voice:

“Life is a candle

Hidden in Tajin

Quetzalcoatl carries it

Mictlantecuhtli watches

Anubis guides you and weighs your soul

While mighty God in Nirvana awaits

Life is a candle and when it gets weaker,

Inside the temples of Tajin

It is time for me to blow it off

And guide you through this path

This is the path where lovers meet

This is the path were lovers’ love never dies

That’s the only love from me my dearest children

La Catrina awaits for you...

In the temples of Tajin

And now is time for you to come.”

As she stopped singing such sweetest song,

I took her hand, and walked with her

Is time to come, is time to smile

The candle goes off...

DA 2015