Honey Ant

by Daniel Aristi

A hopemonger comes he sells

hope, in Spanish

esperanza.

Abuela used to say

They were so poor in Zacatecas they

Ate ant honey—

Miel de hormiga

Bees, hah, way too expensive, muy caro

mijo, carísimo, ja!

I was small I imagined

I got X-ray

Vision and I’d freak out when in town,

To buy shoes,

Shoes we couldn’t grow,

Or Valium,

Staring at everyone’s bellies

And yelling at them

To go get it checked, to save

Yourselves!

¡Cúrense! ¡Por Dios!

Met my future self

Years later, many, fifty,

On a mirror,

From when Baja

Is a barony

Loud with huizache &

Spiders,

If you say so

pero en español, por favor…