{"id":996,"date":"2020-05-30T21:49:40","date_gmt":"2020-05-31T01:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spanglishvoces.com\/?p=996"},"modified":"2020-06-01T13:15:38","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T17:15:38","slug":"my-skin-is-a-tightrope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spanglishvoces.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/30\/my-skin-is-a-tightrope\/","title":{"rendered":"MY SKIN IS A TIGHTROPE"},"content":{"rendered":"

My\u00a0skin\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0tightrope<\/span>
\nteetering, a tongue captive,<\/span>
\nchains\u00a0halting\u00a0the\u00a0steps<\/span>
\nof my\u00a0ghetto, a scythe,<\/span>
\na subway pole chafing<\/span>
\nthe larynx silent.<\/span>
\nThis\u00a0skin, that\u00a0weeps<\/span>
\nwears\u00a0crowns,<\/span>
\nstolen\u2014the\u00a0mighty,<\/span>
\nfallen to thirst.<\/span><\/p>\n

Medieval cities\u00a0drag<\/span>
\noceans, trail<\/span>
\npale venom<\/span>
\nunder\u00a0tongue, a\u00a0bull\u2019s lisp<\/span>
\nspills secrets of ancient<\/span>
\ntrampled bodies.<\/span>
\nI bellow in\u00a0sorrow.<\/span>
\nDig through the\u00a0rut\u00a0of<\/span>
\nthe hollow cavern of\u00a0memory<\/span>
\n\u2014a\u00a0sun\u00a0without its\u00a0shadow<\/span>
\ncarries\u00a0reflection.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0am\u00a0the\u00a0return,<\/span>
\nan\u00a0excess\u00a0of\u00a0roots\u00a0gulping<\/span>
\nevaporated skies.<\/span>
\nTriumph in\u00a0death,<\/span>
\nYet, I discolor\u00a0my\u00a0tongue,<\/span>
\nwipe\u00a0the\u00a0street\u00a0off\u00a0my\u00a0face,<\/span>
\ncrumple\u00a0my\u00a0words,<\/span>
\nlike meaty chunks<\/span>
\nin\u00a0defeat\u2014<\/span>
\nlanguage spat<\/span>
\nbittersweet,<\/span>
\nit\u00a0is\u00a0this, a\u00a0life<\/span>
\nreduced\u00a0to\u00a0teeth.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0roar\u00a0in my\u00a0belly,<\/span>
\na\u00a0son\u00e1mbulo, numbed<\/span>
\nby your\u00a0indifference,<\/span>
\nyour\u00a0assaults<\/span>
\nagainst\u00a0my\u00a0cheek.<\/span>
\nDemons fear this,<\/span>
\na\u00a0child\u00a0swinging\u00a0machete<\/span>
\nof chewy slop,<\/span>
\nblack with city grime<\/span>
\nregifted\u00a0in\u00a0gold<\/span>
\nand\u00a0throne.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think\u00a0of me when you\u00a0love.<\/span>
\nCoquito sweet between\u00a0lips,<\/span>
\nrising from\u00a0ashes<\/span>
\n\u2014a fat\u00a0ass\u00a0still-life awakening<\/span>
\nthe stale with\u00a0slight,<\/span>
\na turned up nose\u00a0drowning<\/span>
\nin sour wine,<\/span>
\ngiving\u00a0breath<\/span>
\nto that\u00a0death\u00a0you\u00a0call\u00a0life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"Cynthia Roman Cabrera<\/a> is a Dominican and Puerto Rican native Bronx, New Yorker. She writes poetry to explore identity, cityscape, ‘familismo’, and trauma. As someone who has lived in various marginalized communities, her art intersects themes of class, culture, and gender. Her experiences as a scholar, broke girl, comelona, reader, advocate, and queer person in love help shape and transform her work.<\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/cynthiapoems<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My\u00a0skin\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0tightrope teetering, a tongue captive, chains\u00a0halting\u00a0the\u00a0steps of my\u00a0ghetto, a scythe, a subway pole chafing the larynx silent. This\u00a0skin, that\u00a0weeps wears\u00a0crowns, stolen\u2014the\u00a0mighty, fallen to thirst. Medieval cities\u00a0drag oceans, trail pale venom under\u00a0tongue, a\u00a0bull\u2019s lisp spills secrets of ancient trampled bodies. I bellow in\u00a0sorrow. Dig through the\u00a0rut\u00a0of the hollow cavern of\u00a0memory \u2014a\u00a0sun\u00a0without its\u00a0shadow carries\u00a0reflection. I\u00a0am\u00a0the\u00a0return, an\u00a0excess\u00a0of\u00a0roots\u00a0gulping evaporated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":982,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nMY SKIN IS A TIGHTROPE - Spanglish Voces Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spanglishvoces.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/30\/my-skin-is-a-tightrope\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MY SKIN IS A TIGHTROPE - Spanglish Voces Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My\u00a0skin\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0tightrope teetering, a tongue captive, chains\u00a0halting\u00a0the\u00a0steps of my\u00a0ghetto, a scythe, a subway pole chafing the larynx silent. This\u00a0skin, that\u00a0weeps wears\u00a0crowns, stolen\u2014the\u00a0mighty, fallen to thirst. Medieval cities\u00a0drag oceans, trail pale venom under\u00a0tongue, a\u00a0bull\u2019s lisp spills secrets of ancient trampled bodies. I bellow in\u00a0sorrow. Dig through the\u00a0rut\u00a0of the hollow cavern of\u00a0memory \u2014a\u00a0sun\u00a0without its\u00a0shadow carries\u00a0reflection. 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