Leaving Chefchaouen

I saw the ends of
two rainbows
after a bus tipped over
and fell into the hillside.

Abdeslam sang Ajini
after saying, pobres
and tisking.

the hush
brush of clothes
tiptoeing in the living room
while I sleep
knees and denim grinding
whispering

and they lock the front door.

I was humming this song. The little ray of sunshine, two years old, picked up on it and started humming it perfectly.

the sound I liked

of his beard. He strummed it with his guitar pick.

I loved that sound.

I've worked so hard for all of this. To have the memories I have, to have the two best jobs in the world where I can tutor, and essentially teach, students, adults, a two-year-old, whose mother studied in Granada 11 years ago, and who tells me stories of Almuñecar and eating all the hotdogs. I'm reaching graduation in several months, I live in a beautiful place, where I can dwell with the loud people on the streets or hide away and listen to them with the blinds down. I don't feel guilty anymore, and I don't know how this happened.

Martha, my dear

she reuses envelopes as folders.


silly girl

I saw something very beautiful a few weeks ago. I was sitting in class and out the window was the American flag blowing in the wind. But all I could see were the red stripes, and it was so beautiful. Red and white stripes of a large flag filling up the window. Not because it was just red and white stripes, but because I knew there were stars, and I liked that they were hidden.