I seduced you with the tip of a shoe

You tapped the toe of your warm breath on the nape
of seaweed
you dove into the arms of mud

I kicked off the shoe.

You breathed in with my tongue, its speech

every pore the color of caramel

           shy brushes of wings.


To plunge myself into:

           into the seine net of warm water
           of seaweed
           you will bite into each dove in flower
           in the maddened sea
           your cheeks will burn
           with the light of forgetting
           so I won't shut my eyes anymore
           while touching the tip of the shoe.

I put myself into your body
opened by remembrance.

Translated by J. C. Todd and Ivón Gordon Vailakis

---

Te seduje con la punta del zapato

taconeaste tu aliento tibio en la nuca
de algas marinas
buceaste en los brazos de barro

me saqué el zapato.

Aspiraste con la lengua

cada poro color caramelo

           alas de rubor.

Sumergirme:

           en la red del agua tibia
           de algas marinas
           morderás cada paloma en flor
           en el mar de la locura
           te quemarás las mejillas
           en la luz del olvido
           para no cerrar mas los ojos
           mientras toco la punta del zapato.

Calzo tu cuerpo
abierto a la memoria.