For Rebeca López, from Bleeding from All 5 Senses, published this month by White Pine Press. Translated from the Spanish by Cole Heinowitz.

You were born from the sperm of Gérard de Nerval
Right at the base of his scaffold
From his radiant / shattered eyes
From the entrails of his immaculate prophesy
From his strong extraterrestrial mind
From his scarred / singular fate
You blossomed / in search of me
Confronting impossible oceans
Freeing the will from violent squalls
/ By any means /
Just to be able to kiss all my sores
At the winged feet of that same scaffold
From which I too was born