Asiel Adan Sanchez reading ‘Make-Up Lessons’

ay, mijo,

a mother’s love
sublimates violence 

the way winter
gives birth to spring.              

don’t you know?

your body
is not a war. 

mira, 

start with the foundation;
begin by erasing 

any trace of hurt
the world
might have
left on you. 

imagine a face
with no borders,
quiet as a field
with no names in it. 

carve your cheeks
from axiote, mole rojo.

repaint the history
of our country
as if it never belonged
to the rage 

of violent men.              

pero mijo,

a brush
can be as violent
as a knife; 

treat it with care. 

you will soon learn
that the pain
of walking in heels  

is the pain
of learning
to stand tall. 

that a broken lip
deserves to be
dressed in red  

as though it’s never
kissed the pavement. 

some days
this dress will 

feel so bone-close
and heavy, 

you will mistake
its stitches
for skin.  

ay, mijo,

when you walk
down the street 

with the heaviness
of names
that do not belong to you 

remember 

you were made
from women

who have
been painting 

flowers on the
faces of skulls

for years.

Glossary

Mijo: term of endearment for “son”

Mira: see here

Axiote: Indigenous name for annatto seed, used in cooking

Mole rojo: red, spicy, curry-like sauce typical of Mexican cuisine

Pero: but

Asiel Adan Sanchez is an organic, gluten-free, vegan, single origin, ethically sourced gender fluid. They may be found in late-night hospital shifts writing lines of poetry in between melancholic insulin orders. Born and raised in Mexico, their work is an attempt to reconcile culture, race, gender and sexuality. They spend their free time kissing boys and crying in public.