I am that child of always,
before the panorama of eminent terror
before the panorama of eminent terror
—Reinaldo Arenas, “Viejo Niño,” trans. Lázaro Gómez Carriles
Over a bowl of double cheddar Mickey Mouse
mac and cheese, our kid says Mommy is his best
friend today, but tomorrow? Tomorrow you
will be my best friend. Now I’m no longer
the buzzards glooming over the mango tree.
Now I’m the fuzzy orange sunbeam glazing
the buzzards’ shoulders. I’m the ruddy yellow
