- Last Views of a Mourning Dove, and: Peace in the Bones, and: Festival de la Lluvia de Peces
Last Views of a Mourning Dove
In March when a flowerpot tips overon the lanai and scatters ash,and crows, for no apparent reason,
attack a mourning doveby the red bougainvillea bleedingin unison or empathy
I run outside to fend off the crowsby waving my arms and clapping loudlyonly to see a neighbor’s gray housecat
streak by to nip the dove on the neck,finish it off. I feel like weeping,yet nothing occurs. No flowing
of the eye in response to the lowtremulous call. Dear God, howcan one find beauty or solace
in this world? As doves, why loveour enemies, the crows? How do welive among cats? As crows, what
is our responsibility to doves, if any?It is so hard to lovethe dark beak puncturing a bird— [End Page 105]
the long shadow outspread,longer than any mourning dovealive, dragging.
Perhaps it is knowing Godweeps with us even whenwe no longer weep for ourselves.
Peace in the Bones
The word an in my Chinese name is peace.The blind woman saysat last you’ve reached the age
when you enjoy peace.Your bones will not grow any longerso you are at peace.
Your hair will not grow any darker and you are at peace.
Your eyesight will grow dimmerwhen you look at these lines.Moss coats a stone on the northwestside only, and you are at peace.
You feel an urge to dance to loosen your jointsloosening despite the years,
at peace. [End Page 106]
Festival de la Lluvia de Peces
Every year in May to Julya swollen cloud floatsover the mountain range
releasing la lluvia de peces.For hours, black rain poursinto the fish gulleys of Yoro.
Perhaps it is God rainingfish-manna to answerthe prayers of a holy person
over a hundred years ago.Perhaps an underground riveris flooded by the rain
so fish surface in the meadow.What else could be a sourceof silver-bellied fish leaping
into a boat on the waves?Perhaps wind carries the fishfrom the sea to a hundred miles
inland. How do the fish survivethe altitudinal forces of wind?How do we explain the freshwater
not saltwater species of fish?How do we explain blindnessof the fish not indigenous [End Page 107]
to any waters close to Yoro?Whatever the method, say residents,la lluvia de peces occurs annually
so we host a fish festival. It isa miracle of divine grace.We gather all the fish we can
and cook them right awaybecause they never live longafter falling out of the sky. [End Page 108]
Karen An-hwei Lee is the author of Phyla of Joy, Ardor, and In Media Res. Her honors and awards include an nea Grant and the Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. She currently lives and teaches in greater Los Angeles.