QUETZALCOATL'S RADIANCE

I live in Mexico

because fireworks wake

me up pre-dawn,

Quetzalcoatl shimmering through

sky window, these

fireworks sound like 

gunfire, someone's 

died, left the body,

someone beloved, they

explode, they weep

for two hours, through 

the day, and no

one calls the police, every

one understands some

one's left their body, some

one beloved is gone. I

dream through explosions,

wake to loud joyous 

mariachis in the distance,

a marriage, family gathering,

I live in Mexico

because death and

life hold hands

dancing, singing, exploding

with grief and joy-

I live in Mexico

because every car stops

for the funeral procession,

a singer/guitarist sings

the beloved's favorite

songs on the way to

the cemetery, where

families will gather, Dia

de Los Muertos, to

welcome their tender Spirits

home, from babies to 

elders, a feast on the

graves they decorate,

joy/sorrow equally,

beauty, song, candles,

tiny stars flicker all

night long as Spirits

come to taste tamales,

tacitos, tequila, cerveza,

fresh limes, oranges,

sweet cakes, where

the father of his Spirit

teen, grave decorated with

little cars, dancing

muertos, bottles of

empty Victorias (his

favorite), some full,

proudly shows me his

handsome boy, I can't

weep, his smile of

pure joy-

I drove to Mexico

in spring 2005, the

fear color codes of

my country, endless

wars on some enemy,

my dreams filled with

mourning women, holding 

Spirit sons, daughters,

only sorrow, only grief,

no graves of marigolds,

feasts, sorrow/joy,

death holding hands

with life, dancing, singing,

weeping, exploding

pre-dawn journey of

the beloved, all day

into the night, mariachis

leading a wedding party to

more joy, holding hands

with life death life-

I live in Mexico

to remember,

to witness

simple human

joy sorrow joy,

those without my

country's great entitlements,

the leaders, the shameless

1% who would haul

off the mourner with 

explosive weeping, singing,

who allow one in five

children in my country to

be hungry, who prefer

the poor to die (very)

quickly, while mouthing

how much they love their 

country, care for its people,

send the neediest young to

kill/die for their oil wars,

want to control the

sacred wombs of women,

the constant enemy,

the constant fear,

unhinging our young, our

unbonded to our Mother

Earth young, bringing

automatic weapons to

schools, universities,

playgrounds, now

theaters where the masses

go to dream, the manufactured

dream of Holly Wood,

dream, all humans need to

dream, many have forgotten

how to dream, vision-

I live in Mexico

because a Huichol family

in full brilliant rainbow

dress motioned me in front

of them, the market, I 

thanked them but no, their

rainbow smiles insisted,

and the woman helped

me unload my full

cart, their few carefully

selected items waited, she

smiled her rainbows, I

smiled mine, "Gracias,

gracias, gracias," 

I kept saying, why

I live in Mexico.

I live in Mexico to feel

full sun on my face,

full moon light/shadow,

Quetzalcoatl's radiance.

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico- July 2012

Alma Luz Villanueva