Black pearls
black pearls

black pearls each
sings Father

from sleep
and through each a hole

bored for the lengthening
chain of days

to pass through 
Not even goat’s milk

nor sweetbread will he eat
and only Job

in from tending 
his own fields

will he rise
to greet

To weep 
with and speak to

 

Remedio: Ocotillo To forgive one’s beloved for dying, pick the long, feather-like crimson flowers in early spring, when the desert is in bloom. Boil in water only. Let cool. Drink at once. Drink when waking, at noon, and at bedtime each day for three full weeks, thereafter. If resentment persists, go to your beloved’s grave daily and pray for forgiveness until sound sleep and appetite return.