Over Billions Served
There are secret stirrings
in the womb of night.
Bitter gestations unfolding
into meaty mushrooms
spiraling toward the glare of neon
in search of warmth
and a cup of coffee.
Ever notice the grace of withered fingers
as they spider over the remains
left behind by overfed children?
Crumbs from a sugar crusted pie
offer small consolation against
cruel days that knife into empty bellies
waiting for the charity
of the seasonally guilty.
Notes:
“Over Billions Served” was first published in It’s Not About Dreams (Erato/Poetry, 2014). It is reprinted with permission of Kayla González Huertas.
This poem is part of the portfolio “Salima Rivera: A Chicago Rican Poet.” You can read the rest of the portfolio in the March 2024 issue.
Source:
Poetry
(March 2024)
