Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin's prose and poetry have appeared in Dismantle of VONA, Voices of our Nation; Heart Song Food Memories; Los Angeles County Latino Heritage Calendar ; Flor Y Canto Literary Festival, USC; Inscape Literary Magazine of Pasadena City College; the City of Altadena's Poetry Anthology, 2011-15; dandelion breeze and apology of wildflowers, Southern California Haiku Study Group Anthology 2013-14; The San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly 2013-14; Beyond the Lyric Moment, Tebot Bach 2014.
Luna De Leche
by
Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin
Sacrificial scent of a bursting moon.
Violet and taut are the veins
on your forehead.
Abundant and clear is the liquid
released down your thighs.
From you,
I am expelled
in spasms of heat and ice,
a slippery, bruised body.
I am alone.
Torn from your velvet womb,
my desperate mouth,
my tongue, my throat cry out.
Searching for you.
Mamá. Madre.
Luna de leche.
You give me courage.
You give me comfort.
Your milk is your gift,
Warm healing honey.
Each breast, a promise of a
brown wooden bowl of flour,
shortening, un poquito de agua
and a pinch of salt,
for an endless meal
of warm round tortillas.
Mamá.
Mi luz.
Source of endless leche
de tu ser.
Persimmons
Your blood
Mi sangre
Cada gota
Cada pulso
Suckle.
Sup.
Pleasure sweeps between us.
Sleep.
Stomach satiated.