after sandra cisneros

ashe! she is a coconut oil kind of woman. grease

stain on the pillow, flag on the moon type 

woman. pioneer of her own kinky planet. the kind 

who laces her two strand twists with antennae.

resourceful, frying kale in the same fat she smooths

 her edges with. all natural, reading the labels

 on bags and shit. recycling, understands the way

 one thing can become another. alchemy,

 how the jar is filled with something like water one minute

some snow the next. she’s always mindful

of the season. her curls know when it’s gonna rain.

her fro is the black cloud in the water

cycle they forgot to draw in the textbook. throw away

your pantene she will, without asking. 

teach you names of all the devils living in bottles

at walgreens. her smell reminds lovers

of coladas. they don’t know how dry their skin is

til they touch her.