Juan Tejeda


Spanish Rat Girl

The rain in Spain falls mainly from the pain,
Lorca’s shot in the back of the head with lead.
I read by daylight now, fire is forbidden at night.

That’s me in my bowler hat, rat girl,
besides the strinking violet which fights its way
out of a paper bag---Selfish plant-life, I tell you.

On TV, Hawking shouts, “There’s no safety in gravity!”
Darling, your womanhood would conquer me
this morning even as soldiers die.

But, I hope the rain in finds you well.
Gibraltar is out of the question, I hear you say,
and those fanatic Moors are making a comeback.