by Luisa Caycedo-Kimura<\/p>\n
once mourning doves\u00a0\u00a0 made me think<\/p>\n
of graveyards<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
today\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 they peck\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 at weed seeds<\/p>\n
clean\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 my land<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
the oldest on record\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 lived 30 years\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and 4 months<\/p>\n
from the time\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 it was tagged<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
until\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 it was shot<\/p>\n
how many mates\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 did it mourn<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
American toads\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 breed<\/p>\n
at the neighbor\u2019s pond<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I wring\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 laundry\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 to hang\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 on a clothesline<\/p>\n
mostly black<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
when I was eight<\/p>\n
a man trapped me\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 in the stairwell<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
to our New York\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 apartment<\/p>\n
the note from his pocket\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 loose-leaf cutout<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
blue ink print\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 said I was\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 beautiful<\/p>\n
a scalpel\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 in his pocket<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
how many\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 would die<\/p>\n
in a war\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 without weapons<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I was born\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 in the middle<\/p>\n
of an Andean hurricane\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the first time<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I saw mam\u00e1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 her blue eyes<\/p>\n
reflected green\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 from the flame<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
of a candle\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the last time\u00a0\u00a0 in Florida<\/p>\n
her eyes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 were shut<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
yesterday\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aaron and I\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 planned<\/p>\n
a garden\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 for our new\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Connecticut home<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
asparagus and blueberries can\u2019t be harvested<\/p>\n
for two years<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
seeds must avoid\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 hickory taproots<\/p>\n
cilantro\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 has to be\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 direct seeded<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
doesn\u2019t like\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 to be moved<\/p>\n
my older sister bought\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 her first house<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
after med school<\/p>\n
lived there\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 twenty years<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
before renting it out\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019ve moved<\/p>\n
twenty times\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 from rental to rental<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
clouds dissipate\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 on our ridge<\/p>\n
we buy spades\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 trowels<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
pruners\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 window sheers<\/p>\n
fog on the trees\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 lingers<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
coats\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the open grass<\/p>\n
droplets\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 vaporize\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 burn the fog<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
how does one quench\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 an instinct<\/p>\n
to bolt<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Copyright 2021 Luisa Caycedo-Kimura\r\n\r\nFrom All Were Limones<\/em> (The Word Works, 2025); originally published in Shennandoah<\/em>, Spring 2021\r\n\r\nUsed by permission of the author.<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cultivo by Luisa Caycedo-Kimura once mourning doves\u00a0\u00a0 made me think of graveyards today\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 they peck\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 at weed seeds clean\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 my land the oldest on record\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 lived 30 years\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and 4 months from the time\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 it was tagged until\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 it was shot how many mates\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 did it mourn American toads\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 breed at … Continue reading Cultivo<\/span>