- 15 Ways of Looking at a Latina
They call us Arcelia Treasure; altar of heavenThey call us Diosdada Determined; God givenThey call us Olga Light; holyThey call us Ester Star; myrtle leafThey call us Xiomara Ba~ le ready; famous in warThey call us Carmen Song; gardenThey call us Milagros Miracles; marvelsThey call us muchacha Girl; maidThey call us guapa Beautiful; boldThey call us chonga Working class; sexually and emotionally expressiveThey call us mami Mother; sexyThey call us pendeja Vulgar; idiotThey call us peluda Swarthy; hairyThey call us puta Prostitute; slutThey call us Latina Only if we are the right shade of brown. [End Page 188]
Michelle Lizet Flores~ is a graduate of FSU and NYU creative writing programs. Her work has been published in magazines and journals such as ˚ e Miami Rail,˚FreezeRay Poetry, and˚Travel Latina. Her first chapbook, Cuentos ˛ om the Swamp, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press.