With scraps of watermelon
we lower ourselves by degrees           

afterwards we work over the whole swollen conceit
as if it were possible to make it bear
but as always we end up sucking the ungerminated seed
and it is ourselves we deceive

we scratch the rind with our fingernails
until the moon turns green

pulling on the fibers one by one
we put them in small glass vials
and stare, alarmed
as slowly they turn the color of the coffee bean

such deformation takes years.

Translated by J. C. Todd


Con migajas de sand’a
nos conformamos


luego recorremos toda su hinchaz—n
como si fuera posible embarazarla
pero como siempre terminamos chupando la semilla dormida
y nos enga–amos

raspamos la c‡scara con las u–as
hasta enverdecer la luna

jalando uno a uno los hilos
las ponemos en frascos de vidrio sonoro
y miramos con asombro
su lento encafecimiento
                
la deformaci—n es lenta.